Turkey says US sanctions unacceptable, have limited economic impact

Treasury and Finance Minister Berat Albayrak on Thursday called the U.S. sanctions on two Turkish ministers "unacceptable".

In a statement, Albayrak said Turkey's priority is to resolve the U.S. sanctions issue through "diplomacy and constructive efforts appropriate for two countries and allies with strong historical background".

"If the U.S. insists on making a mistake, its impact will be limited on Turkey and Turkish economy," he added.

On Wednesday, White House spokesperson Sarah Sanders said the U.S. has imposed sanctions on Suleyman Soylu, the interior minister, and Abdulhamit Gul, the justice minister, for not releasing American Pastor Andrew Craig Brunson, who faces terrorism charges in Turkey.

The finance minister also spoke about Turkey's medium-term program.

"We made the first meeting of our medium-term program," he said.

He said austerity measures and necessary steps for budget discipline and economic balance had been put in place in Turkey.

"On the other hand, our meetings for short-and-medium term external financing are proceeding positively," he said.

He added the Turkish economy will be based on healthy and sustainable growth after balance is provided to Turkey's economy.

"There is no doubt, Turkey keeps growing robustly," he said.