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WORLD NEWS Tuesday 21 augusT 2018

2 detained after shots are fired at US Embassy in Turkey

By ZEYNEP BILGINSOY go forward.
Associated Press The Turkish lira has lost 39
ISTANBUL (AP) — Shots were percent of its value against
fired from a moving car at the U.S. dollar since the
the U.S. Embassy in Turkey beginning of the year and
before dawn Monday, an was hurt further by recent
attack that came during U.S. tariffs on Turkish steel
heightened tensions be- and aluminum. Turkey’s
tween the two NATO allies. economy is already vul-
Officials said two people nerable because of heavy
with criminal records were foreign currency borrowing
detained. that fueled high growth for
There were no casualties in years.
the fleeting attack, in which Also Monday, Turkey filed
three of the six bullets fired a complaint about the U.S.
hit the embassy gate and tariffs at the World Trade
a reinforced window in the Organization, the WTO said.
building in Ankara. The two sides can now try
The Ankara governor’s of- to resolve the dispute with-
fice named the suspects out litigation — if talks fail
as Ahmet Celikten, 39, and after 60 days, a WTO panel
Osman Gundas, 38, saying can be asked to judge the
they had confessed. Au- matter, it said.
thorities seized a 9-millime- Turkish President Recep
ter gun and a vehicle with Tayyip Erdogan, whose
Ankara license plates. government imposed its
Celikten had escaped pris- The damage to a security booth by a shot fired, is seen outside the U.S. Embassy in Ankara, Turkey, own tit-for-tat tariffs on
on and Gundas had sev- Monday, Aug. 20, 2018. some American goods, al-
eral crimes under his belt, Associated Press luded to the dispute with
including car theft, drugs tweeted that it was “an at- The U.S. Embassy was plan- and U.S. President Donald the U.S. in a pre-recorded
and threats, the governor’s tempt to create chaos.” ning to close at midday Trump has called for his im- holiday message.
office said. A top official in Turkey’s rul- Monday anyway until the mediate release. “There is no difference be-
The U.S. Embassy thanked ing Justice and Develop- end of the week for the Turkey has long criticized tween the direct attacks
Turkish authorities, tweeting ment Party said the attack Islamic holiday of Eid al- the United States for not on our call to prayer and
that it appreciated their was a “clear provocation” Adha. agreeing to hand over our flag and the attack on
“fast and professional ac- and that foreign diplomats Tensions between the U.S. Fethullah Gulen, a Muslim our economy,” said Erdo-
tion” in arresting the two are guests of the country. and Turkey are high, partly cleric accused by Turkish gan. “Those who think they
suspects. “The utmost sensitivity will because of the case of authorities of engineering can make Turkey give in
Turkish officials are locked in be shown to ensure their Andrew Brunson, an Ameri- an attempted coup in 2016. with the foreign exchange
a trade and diplomatic dis- security,” said the party can pastor who is being Gulen denies those allega- rate will soon see they are
pute with the United States spokesman, Omer Celik. prosecuted in Turkey for tions. Washington has told wrong.”
but they fully condemned The governor’s office said alleged espionage and Turkey it must present con- U.S. diplomatic offices
the shooting. Presidential authorities are investigating terrorism-related offenses. vincing evidence for any have been targeted in the
spokesman Ibrahim Kalin the suspects’ links. He denies any wrongdoing extradition proceeding to past in Turkey.q