NEW YORK, - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan will continue to purchase Iran's natural gas, despite US sanctions on Tehran, according to an interview with Reuters on Wednesday. Erdogan also said a Turkish court, not politicians, will decide the fate of an American pastor whose detention on terrorism charges has roiled relations between Ankara and Washington.Erdogan said it was impossible for Syrian peace efforts to continue with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in power, adding that the withdrawal of "radical groups" had already started from a new demilitarized zone in Syria's Idlib region.In the interview, Erdogan also said the decision of Turkey's central bank to raise its benchmark rate was a clear sign of its independence, adding that as president he was against increasing the rates.
