Turkey’s Official Gazette declared on Wednesday morning that the government had raised tariffs on US imports, including passenger cars, tobacco and alcohol.
The decree, which was signed by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, raised tariffs on alcoholic beverages by 140 percent, on tobacco by 60 percent, and on passenger cars by 120 percent.
Tariffs were also increased on other US goods, including cosmetics, rice and coal.
Turkey’s Vice President Fuat Oktay commented on the move, stating: “Under the principle of reciprocity, the tax rates for imports of certain products have been increased against the US administration’s conscious attacks on our economy.”
President Trump authorised the implementation of higher tariffs on aluminium and steel imports from Turkey last Friday.
Commenting on the move, the US leader said: “I have just authorised a doubling of tariffs on steel and aluminium with respect to Turkey as their currency, the Turkish lira, slides rapidly downwards against our very strong dollar.
“Aluminium will now be 20 percent and steel 50 percent. Our relations with Turkey are not good at this time!”
President Erdogan responded defiantly to President Trump’s threats in a speech in the Black Sea city of Trabzon on Sunday.
He said: “I want them to know that we will not surrender. We will keep producing and we will keep increasing exports.
“We will not give in, if you come at us with your dollars then we will find other ways to do business.
“The US is sacrificing its 81-million strong ally Turkey for a pastor with links with terrorists.”
The Turkish leader also stated on Monday that the US was seeking the “stab” Turkey in the back.
Speaking at a news conference in the Turkish capital, Akara, he said: “You act on one side as a strategic partner, but on the other, you fire bullets in the foot of your strategic partner.
“We are together in Nato and then you seek to stab your strategic partner in the back.”
The ongoing crisis has caused the lira and the Turkish stock market to slide sharply.
The lira has fallen 45pc against the dollar since the start of 2018, and the country’s stock market has fallen 17 percent.
Turkey’s inflation has also hit 15 percent.
Andrew Brunson is an evangelical pastor who has been incarcerated in Turkey since 2016 after being accused of helping to plot the 2016 coup attempt against President Erdogan.
He was officially indicted in March on charges of espionage and maintaining links to terrorist organisations.
Mr Brunson’s trial is set to resume in October, and he could face up to 35 years in prison if found guilty.