Turkey strongly protests the U.S. decision to sanction its ministers and calls on the country to reverse its wrong decision, the foreign ministry said Wednesday in a statement.
"The decision targeting two ministers does not comply with state solemnity and cannot be explained by the concepts of law and justice," the statement said.
The foreign ministry also said that U.S.' "aggressive attitude servers no purpose," adding that Turkey would respond likewise.
It underlined that the latest U.S. move could be considered a "disrespectful intervention" to Turkey's judicial system, saying that it will harm constructive efforts trying to solve problems between the two countries.
Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said on his official Twitter page that the U.S. sanctions move would not be left without retaliation.
The U.S. Treasury on Wednesday issued sanctions against Turkish officials including Minister of Justice Abdülhamit Gül and Minister of Interior Süleyman Soylu in retaliation over Turkey's detainment of terror-linked U.S. pastor Andrew Brunson.
Brunson, who was previously jailed for his links to the Gülenist Terror Group (FETO) and the PKK, was released on July 25 following an appeal by his lawyer, who objected his extended detention in an earlier hearing, citing health problems the 50-year-old defendant suffers from.
The Second High Criminal Court in Izmir ordered his house arrest and a ban on travel abroad for the pastor.
Brunson, a Christian pastor from North Carolina who has lived in Turkey for more than two decades, was indicted on charges of helping the FETO, which is responsible for the failed 2016 coup, as well as supporting the PKK terrorist organization.
The case has been a thorny issue between Turkey and the U.S. Washington has repeatedly called for the release of Brunson, claiming he was "unjustly detained."
The Turkish government has repeatedly told Washington that Brunson's case is being handled by the courts and the government cannot intervene.
