Turkish President Calls Use Of Economic Pressure, Sanctions As Weapons 'Unacceptable'

The use of economic pressure as a weapon is unacceptable, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said at the 73rd session of the UN General Assembly in New York on Tuesday.

UNITED NATIONS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 25th September, 2018) The use of economic pressure as a weapon is unacceptable, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said at the 73rd session of the UN General Assembly in New York on Tuesday.

"Trade wars have harmed humanity in every age, and we are on the brink of yet another period that we fear again. None of us can remain silent to arbitrary cancellations of commercial agreements, the spreading prevalence of protectionism and the use of economic sanctions as weapons, because the negative effects of this twisted developments will eventually affect all countries. We all must work together to prevent damage to the world trade routine as a result of such unilateral decisions in the form of sanctions," Erdogan said.

He added that Turkey stood for free trade and free movement of people and goods.

"In this time, nobody wants the world to experience a new economic rupture. It's very easy to create chaos, but it's difficult to reestablish order. And today, unfortunately, some countries are persistently trying to create chaos ... As Turkey, we always express that we are in support of a win-win scenario, when all of our friends that we do business with around the world are concerned," the Turkish president added.

Erdogan also called on all countries to take responsible actions and constructive cooperation on the basis of international platforms like G20 or the World Trade Organization (WTO).

In March, US President Donald Trump signed an order to impose a 25 percent tariff on steel imports and a 10 percent tariff on aluminum imports. The economy of Turkey has been further hit by Trump's decision, announced on August 10, to double tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from Turkey. In early September, Erdogan called for putting an end to the US Dollar's monopoly in global trade.

The relations between Ankara and Washington have worsened over detention of US pastor Andrew Brunson in Turkey about two years ago on suspicion of ties to the movement founded by Islamic cleric Fethullah Gulen, whom Ankara accused of orchestrating the 2016 failed military coup. In late July, Brunson was released from a Turkish prison and placed under house arrest.