US sanctions move 'abdication of reason': Turkish MP

By Muhammet Emin Avundukluoglu

ANKARA (AA) - The head of Turkish parliament's constitutional committee has described the U.S. decision to impose sanctions on two Turkish ministers as an "abdication of reason".

"The U.S. administration's decision is far from good sense, an abdication of reason, a lack of foresight," Bekir Bozdag said on his official Twitter account on Thursday.

"The U.S. cannot take what it wants from Turkey with a method that is against international law, unlawful and presuming," Bozdag, a lawmaker from Yozgat province, added.

On Wednesday night, White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said the U.S. was imposing sanctions on Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu, and Justice Minister Abdulhamit Gul for not releasing American Pastor Andrew Craig Brunson, who faces terrorism charges in Turkey.

Sanders said the U.S. would block "any property, or interest in property of the two ministers".

The head of Turkish parliament's education, culture and sport committee also called on the U.S. to reverse its decision on the sanctions.

"We call on the U.S. administration to turn from this decision that has the characteristics of intervention into [Turkey's] justice system," Numan Kulturmus, a lawmaker from Istanbul province, said.

Kurtulmus said Turkey would "promptly give response to that kind of aggressive manner".

The Foreign Ministry on Wednesday also strongly protested against U.S. Treasury Department's decision, calling on the U.S. administration to reverse its "wrong decision".

Brunson has been charged in Turkey with spying for the PKK -- a designated terrorist group in the U.S. and Turkey -- and U.S.-based Fetullah Gulen and the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), the group behind the defeated July 2016 coup attempt in Turkey which martyred 251 people and injured thousands.

Ankara also accuses FETO of being behind a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police, and judiciary.