In an address made in Ankara to US business people, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan commented on the 50 percent tariff imposed by the US on imports of Turkish steel, stating, “We would like the doubling of the tariffs on Turkish steel imports into the US to be removed. The World Trade Organization decided in favor of Turkey. We are trying our best to ensure that reciprocal trade and investment between Turkey and the US are not affected by these developments,” as reported by Turkish daily Habertürk.
Mr. Erdoğan said that the trade volume of $20 billion between two countries is not acceptable, adding that this is a figure which is far below the potential of both countries. “I consulted with Mr. Trump regarding this and the president suggested increasing the trade volume between our nations to $75 billion. There is nothing preventing us from achieving this,” Mr. Erdoğan said.