The Latest: Turkey court rejects appeal for pastor’s release

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — The Latest on Turkey’s currency crisis (all times local):

11:20 a.m.

Turkish media reports say a Turkish court has rejected an appeal for the release of an American pastor from detention.

Pastor Andrew Brunson’s lawyer had on Tuesday renewed an appeal for the clergyman’s release from house arrest and for his travel ban to be lifted.

Hurriyet newspaper said the court in Izmir rejected the appeal, but that a higher court would review the appeal.

Brunson is at the center of a diplomatic spat between NATO allies Turkey and the United States, which has helped trigger a Turkish currency crisis. The United States slapped financial sanctions on two Turkish ministers and doubled steel and aluminum tariffs on Turkey over his continued detention. Turkey retaliated on Wednesday with tariffs on certain US goods.

Brunson, 50, is being tried on espionage and terror-related charges, which he and the U.S. government vehemently deny.

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7:10 a.m.

Turkey is increasing tariffs on imports of series of U.S. products, escalating a feud with the United States that has helped trigger a currency crisis.

Turkey said Wednesday it was imposing extra tariffs on imports of products, including rice, vehicles, alcohol, coal and cosmetics. The decision was announced on the Official Gazette.

Turkey’s Vice President Fuat Oktay said on Twitter that the tariffs on certain products were increased “within the framework of the principle of reciprocity in retaliation for the conscious economic attacks by the United States.”