Turkey's İYİ Party suggests gov't to 'seize Trump Towers' in Istanbul as retaliation for US sanctions

ANKARA

İYİ (Good) Party spokesperson Aytun Çıray has said Turkey should retaliate against the U.S. sanctions and “seize the assets of the U.S. president and secretaries.” 

“The Justice and Development Party [AKP] government should seize Trump Towers,” he said in a statement on Aug. 2, referring to the Turkish franchise of Trump Towers located in a commercial district of Istanbul.

“The AKP should also halt the $11 billion passenger plane purchase from the U.S.,” the statement said.

Condemning the U.S. Treasury’s sanction decision, Çıray said İYİ Party regards it as “against the principle of an alliance.”

He added that his party believes a transparent and lawful finalization of Brunson’s case is necessary.

The U.S. imposed sanctions on Justice Minister Abdülhamit Gül and Interior Minister Süleymen Soylu, saying the two were leading government organizations behind “serious human rights abuses" related to the continued arrest of pastor Andrew Brunson.