WASHINGTON, August 16, 2018 — White House National Economic Council Director Larry Kudlow said on Thursday that President Trump’s decision to subject steel imports from Turkey to a fifty percent tariff was not in any way connected to the president’s ire over the Turkish government’s treatment of Andrew Brunson, an American evangelical pastor, despite the increase occurring shortly after the Trump administration imposed sanctions in retaliation for his continued detainment on terrorism charges.
“They [the tariffs] are not connected to that story — I think, basically, that the president was dissatisfied with Turkey on trade,” Kudlow said, noting that the tariffs are “subject to constant negotiations.”
Kudlow added that he personally thinks Turkey should release Brunson, but stressed that “policy-wise,” the decision to expand not connected. He declined to say whether the sanctions would be tightened if Brunson is not released, but said Trump “will keep everybody up to speed.”
Brunson, 50, had lived in Turkey for 23 years when Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government arrested him in the wake of a 2016 coup attempt on accusations of being a follower of Fetullah Gulen, a Turkish pastor who lives in the United States as an expatriot.
Erdogan says Gulen and his movement, which Turkey considers a terrorist organization, were the masterminds behind the attempted putsch. It is believed that Erdogan’s government continues to hold Brunson as a bargaining chip to force the United States to extradite Gulen, but the Trump administration has not as yet been receptive to the idea.
The White House announced the tariff increase in an August 10 presidential proclamation, shortly after the Trump administration announced it would impose economic sanctions on Turkey in response to the decision by Erdogan’s government to keep Brunson, on house arrest rather than release him outright, Both announcements came after both Trump and Vice President Mike Pence began tweeting about Brunson’s plight, and after Pence wrote in a tweet that his release on house arrest was “not good enough.”
If Turkey does not take immediate action to free this innocent man of faith and send him home to America, the United States will impose significant sanctions on Turkey until Pastor Andrew Brunson is free. #IRFMinisterial
— Vice President Mike Pence (@VP) July 26, 2018
The United States will impose large sanctions on Turkey for their long time detainment of Pastor Andrew Brunson, a great Christian, family man and wonderful human being. He is suffering greatly. This innocent man of faith should be released immediately!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 26, 2018
Despite the clear appearance of of a connection, White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders on Wednesday said the sanctions would be lifted if Brunson is released, but the tariffs would remain.
“The tariffs that are in place on steel would not be removed with the release of Pastor Brunson. The tariffs are specific to national security. The sanctions, however, that have been placed on Turkey are specific to Pastor Brunson and others that we feel are being held unfairly,” said Sanders.
However, Sanders could not name a specific national security concern that prompted the tariff move.
“The President has been clear about the steel and aluminum industries — steel particularly in this case — that those are industries that must be protected. And we must have the ability to reach certain levels of manufacturing of those products here in the United States for the purposes of national security,” she said.