Erdogan orders freezing of US Cabinet members' assets
Istanbul, Aug 4: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday announced retaliatory sanctions against members of the US government amid a diplomatic row over a jailed American pastor and said he ordered the freezing of assets of two US ministers, presumably the Attorney General and Homeland Security Secretary.
During a speech at the Congress for the ruling Justice and Development Party's women's organization in Ankara, Erdogan said that he was responding to the sanctions imposed by US President Donald Trump's administration over the case of Pastor Andrew Brunson, imprisoned in Turkey on charges of terrorism since 2016.
"I have told my colleagues to start the process of freezing the assets of the American 'Justice Minister' and 'Interior Minister' if they have any," Erdogan was cited as saying by Efe news.
The equivalent to the Justice and Interior Ministers in the US Cabinet are Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen, respectively.
"The US' latest measure against Turkey is completely disrespectful," Erdogan added.
On Wednesday, the Trump administration announced it was imposing sanctions on Turkey's Justice Minister Abdulhamit Gul and Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu for their roles in Brunson's imprisonment.
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Karnataka HM G Parameshwara blames EVM for Cong debacle in Maharashtra, backs ballot papers
BENGALURU: Karnataka home minister G Parameshwara on Monday alleged Electronic Voting Machine manipulations led to the defeat of Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance in just concluded assembly polls in Maharashtra.
While speaking to reporters here on Monday, he said the BJP does selective manipulations to convince people that there were no wrongdoings. He also wanted to go back to the paper ballots system.
The ruling BJP-led Mahayuti alliance in Maharashtra won a landslide victory in the assembly elections, shattering the Congress-led Maha Vikas Aghadi's dream to wrest power. The BJP won the highest ever 132 seats for the party, while the Shiv Sena led by Shinde bagged 57 seats and NCP won 41 seats to take the Mahayuti total to 230 seats. Congress as part of MVA won just 16 seats.
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"We analysed the Maharashtra poll outcome deeply. We felt that in many places EVMs were manipulated," Parameshwara said. He also said an obvious question would be why not it happened in Jharkhand and elsewhere. The manipulations are done selectively so that no one can question it, he blamed.
According to him, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha is a leading partner. Had the Congress been the leading partner, things would have changed. He backed the ballot papers saying that the same was discussed in Maharashtra Congress as well.
