Turkey and the US have lifted their sanctions against ministers from the other country. This was announced by the Turkish Foreign Ministry today in Ankara.
While the US Treasury Department has decided to lift sanctions on Turkish Minister of Justice Abdulhamit Gül and Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu, the Turkish foreign ministry has lifted sanctions against US Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Homeland Security Minister Kirstjen Nielsen.
The trigger for the mutual sanctions was the dispute over US pastor Andrew Brunson, who had been imprisoned in Turkey. The cleric was released after two years in custody in Turkey, the Turkish authorities accused him of espionage and the support of a terrorist organization.
After Brunson’s release in the first half of October, the US considered, according to Foreign Minister Mike Pompeo, the lifting of sanctions against Turkey.
