Turkish minister hails Germany’s stance on US sanctions

By Gokhan Ergocun

ANKARA

Turkey's Treasury and Finance Minister Berat Albayrak expressed gratitude to Germany's Economy Minister Peter Altmaier for his criticism of the U.S. sanctions against Turkey.

"I appreciate Mr. @peteraltmaier’s [Peter Altmaier] remarks on the most recent U.S. actions against Turkey," Albayrak said on his official Twitter account on Monday.

"Politicians who act in good faith and advocate diplomacy, will strengthen the Turkish people's confidence in our relations with Germany and the EU," he added.

On Sunday, the German minister had criticized U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to impose additional tariffs on Turkey.

“This trade war slows down and destroys economic growth and produces new uncertainties," Altmaier was quoted as saying by Germany’s Bild am Sonntag newspaper.

His remarks come after Trump ramped up his attack on Turkey by increasing U.S. tariffs on Turkish aluminium and steel imports to 20 percent and 50 percent, respectively.

Especially consumers are affected by trade wars in the past due to the expensiveness, he underlined.

"Turkey stands for security and reliability in Europe, we are working together well with Ankara in terms of migration,” the German minister added.