According to various news reports, the US is preparing to ease economic penalties on Turkey that were imposed in August.
The US doubled tariffs on steel imports from Turkey to 50 percent after negotiations for the release of US pastor Andrew Brunson failed in August. Brunson was released and returned to the US last week.
“The fact that pastor Brunson made it back opens up new opportunities,” said US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in a statement to media following a meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. “Some of the sanctions put in place were directly connected to Brunson, and there is a logic to now removing those,” Pompeo said, adding that Donald Trump will make the final determination.
Pompeo was in Turkey to discuss the investigation into US resident and Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who disappeared after entering the Saudi Arabian consulate in Turkey earlier this month.