Turkey tells US delegation it ‘will not implement Iran sanctions’

ANKARA

Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu has reiterated Turkey will not implement the United States’ unilateral sanctions on Iran, noting that Ankara has also conveyed this message to a recent U.S. Treasury delegation.

“We have told them we will not join these sanctions,” said Çavuşoğlu, recalling a visit by U.S. Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorist Financing Marshall Billingslea to Ankara last week.

“We buy oil from Iran and we purchase it in proper conditions. What is the other option?” Çavuşoğlu said Turkish authorities told the U.S. delegation, as quoted by daily Cumhuriyet on July 24 at a round table with journalists.

“While we are explaining why we will not obey these sanctions, we have also expressed that we do not find these U.S. sanctions appropriate,” the minister also said.

He also stressed Turkey is willing to reconcile its ties with the EU in the upcoming period and is planning to hold tripartite meetings with prominent European countries like France.

The Turkish government should continue reforms whether Turkey’s EU process gains momentum or not, Çavuşoğlu said.

“Maybe we cannot take many steps on the process of membership, but we can enhance our cooperation on other issues,” he said.

“At least, we can pass from a negative environment to a neutral, positive one in regards to the process with EU,” the minister said.

“We will make further efforts to resolve problems,” said Çavuşoğlu, pointing at the neighboring countries, such as the reconstruction of Iraq.

He recalled that normalization has started with the Netherlands and said ties with Germany are “getting better.”

“We have good dialogue with France. In the upcoming period, we will have trilateral, quarter meetings in Europe,” he said.

The minister also stated that in the new term, Turkey should “fix” the judiciary in the country, which has been “harmed due to FETÖ and some other elements.”