​Do or die weeks for Ankara

TURKEY - In Brief 06 Aug 2018 by Atilla Yesilada

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Opposing reports suggest that either a compromise has been reached to resolve the “cleric crisis” between Turkey and US, or new sanctions are underway. Either way, I think these are “do or die “ weeks for Ankara, which is not only in trouble with US, but also struggling to put together a fiscal program to convince skeptical investors. As US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo warned “the clock is running out on Turkey”. A padre called Brunson There has been conflicting news about the fate of Pastor Andrew Brunson, still detained in Turkey on charges of terrorism after the summit between Pompeo and his counterpart Mr. Cavusoglu. One (Turkish) Washington correspondent claims additional sanctions have reached President Trump’s desk, which contain bans on crony contractors currently undertaking the mega-projects, while two more probes into Halkbank’s dealings with Iran are in progress. A columnist with good ties to Washington circles claim that a Brunson vs. Hakan Atilla swap, including minimal penalties for Halkbank has already been agreed upon, pending approval of the presidents. She, too, claims that two more probes for Halkbank are about to be launched. While other sources confirm hectic back-door negotiations between parties, as to where the process stands, the a.m. reports can’t seconded by independent sources. I’d conjecture that Erdogan would need another set of sanctions to be persuaded to relent on Brunson.It also makes sense for the White House to roll out more sanctions before concluding a deal, or swap, because the cleric crisis is only the first salvo in the upcoming main battle. The first round of American sanctions against Iran went into effect today, where –acc...