Turkey responds to US, lifts sanctions on 2 officials

By Zuhal Demirci

ANKARA

Turkey has lifted sanctions on two U.S. officials in response to the same move for Turkish justice and interior ministers, the country's foreign ministry said Friday.

Shortly after the U.S. Treasury Department announced the blacklistings of Turkish ministers had been lifted, Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman Hami Aksoy said in a statement that the country lifted sanctions on Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen.

The U.S. had imposed sanctions on the ministers amid a row about pastor Andrew Brunson, an American cleric who was detained in Turkey on terrorism charges. He has since been freed.