Turkey to send delegation to USA to resolve differences

A delegation of Turkish officials will head to Washington in two days to discuss an ongoing row between the two NATO allies, local media reported on Tuesday (August 7), citing diplomatic sources.

Relations between the two countries have steadily worsened, strained by differences over the trial of US pastor Andrew Brunson in Turkey.

A trade spat between the two sent Turkey’s lira currency to plunge to a record low on Monday.

Over the weekend, the US Trade Representative said it was reviewing Turkey’s duty-free access to the US market, after Ankara imposed retaliatory tariffs on US goods in response to American tariffs on steel and aluminium. The move could affect $1.7 billion of Turkish exports.

On Tuesday, broadcasters TRT Haber cited diplomatic sources saying that Ankara and Washington had reached pre-agreements on certain issues, but it did not elaborate.

The Turkish government was not immediately available for comment, and the US State Department did not respond to a request for comment.