Turkey to keep up trade ties regardless of US sanctions: Erdoğan

Turkey will continue to pursue its economic interests with other countries regardless of the United States sanctions, particularly on Iran and Russia, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan told reporters in New York on Thursday.

Erdoğan began by bringing up U.S. President Donald Trump's rhetoric on Russian energy at the NATO summit in Brussels. Trump criticized Germany for its so-called dependence on Russian natural gas, at which point Erdoğan jumped in to say that Turkey also receives 50 percent of its natural gas from Turkey.

"If we don't take it, our citizens will be cold in the winter," he said he told the U.S. president.

"Turkey's stance on sanctions is clear since ancient times. We cannot take steps backward in (trade of) strategic products," Erdoğan told reporters.

He said a similar discussion is taking place in the defense industry, as Turkey looks to Russia to supply defense systems where the U.S. has shown shaky commitment.

"We have to meet the needs of our country in the best conditions," he said.

Turkey will continue to trade with Russia and China, and will even look to produce weaponry together, Erdoğan said.

"It is not appropriate to try to block a country if there is free market economy involved," the president said.