US sanctions hurting its own reputation: Turkish FM

Sanctions imposed by the U.S. on Turkey are shattering the U.S.’ reputation, warned Turkey’s Foreign Minister Cavusoglu on Tuesday. “The era of bullying must end,” Mevlut Cavusoglu said during a joint press conference with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov at the 10th Ambassadors’ Conference in the capital Ankara."If the U.S. wants to continue being a reputable country, it cannot do so with these impositions," he said, referring to the sanctions."We are against the U.S. or any country imposing sanctions," he added. 

For his part, Lavrov said that the U.S.’ "unlawful and illegitimate" sanctions policy cannot last for long. 

Turkey and the U.S. are currently experiencing rocky relations following Washington’s imposition of sanctions on two government ministers for not releasing American Pastor Andrew Brunson, who faces terrorism-related charges in Turkey.

President Donald Trump on Friday ramped up his attack on Turkey by doubling U.S. tariffs on Turkish aluminum and steel imports. 

The five-day ambassadors’ conference is hosting 249 Turkish ambassadors and two charge d'affaires, as well as a number of foreign diplomats.