Turkey sharply increased tariffs on a variety of US products — including cars and alcohol — and a court decided not to release an American pastor being held on terrorism charges as the feud between Ankara and Washington continued to escalate Wednesday.
The government of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan hiked the tariffs on American cars to 120 percent and 140 percent on alcoholic beverages in response to the Trump administration doubling levies on steel and aluminum imports from Turkey.
Tariffs on other goods like cosmetics, rice and coal also were doubled.
Vice President Fuat Oktay, in a posting on Twitter, said the duties were in response to the US’ “deliberate attacks on our economy.”
President Trump has ramped up the pressure on the NATO ally as he tries to win the release of Andrew Brunson, a pastor from North Carolina who’s on trial for espionage and terrorism-related charges.
Brunson, who is under house arrest, faces 35 years in prison if convicted.
The administration has also leveled sanctions against two members of Erdogan’s cabinet.
On Tuesday, Erdogan threatened to boycott American electronic goods, including Apple iPhones.
The US’ financial moves sent the already troubled lira, Turkey’s currency, tumbling, but it showed signs of rallying Wednesday after the country’s central bank took steps to bolster it.
With wires




