WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump´s administration has rejected Turkey´soffer to condition the release of an American pastor on clearing a topTurkish bank of billions of dollars in US fines, media reported Monday.

Washington and Ankara are locked in a bitter feud over the nearly two-yearjailing of Andrew Brunson over disputed terror charges, which has triggereda trade row and sent the lira into a tailspin.

In exchange for Brunson´s release, and that of other US citizens as well asthree Turkish nationals working for the US government, Turkey askedWashington to drop a probe into Halkbank, which is facing possible finesfor helping Iran evade US sanctions.

But the US said that discussions regarding the fines and other areas ofdispute between the two countries were off the table until Brunson wasreleased, a White House official told the Wall Street Journal.

“A real NATO ally wouldn´t have arrested Brunson in the first place,” theunnamed official said.

Trump has said he had doubled the tariffs on aluminum and steel tariffsfrom Turkey, prompting Ankara to sharply hike tariffs on several USproducts.

A court has rejected another appeal to free Brunson and Turkey hasthreatened to respond in kind if Washington imposed further sanctions. -APP/AFP