TURKEY urged the US to reverse new travel sanctions yesterday as a diplomatic row between the two Nato allies escalated.

Washington announced on Sunday that it was suspending Turkish applications for non-immigrant visas.

That was in retaliation for last week’s arrest of Istanbul US consulate liaison officer Metin Topuz, a Turkish citizen, on suspicion of espionage and involvement in last July’s failed military coup.

Mr Topuz is accused of being an agent of US-based millionaire cleric Fethullah Gulen, a former ally of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who Ankara accuses of masterminding the coup. Thousands have been arrested and tens of thousands have lost their jobs over such claims, which Mr Erdogan has used to detain critics including journalists and sitting MPs and shut down dissenting media organisations.

The US embassy said it was “deeply disturbed” by the arrest and has complained of reports by the official Anadolu news agency which it said were aiming to try Mr Topuz in the media instead of in a court of law.

Authorities said a second consulate employee had been “invited” to Istanbul’s chief prosecutor’s office to testify on unspecified topics.

Reports said the employee is another Turkish citizen, and the prosecutor’s office said his wife and child had also been detained for questioning.

Turkey’s Foreign Ministry summoned the US embassy’s second-in-command yesterday, asking that Washington review its decision, which it said had caused an “unnecessary escalation” and “victimised” both Turkish and US citizens, an official revealed.

“It is Turkey’s right to try a Turkish citizen for acts carried out in Turkey,” Justice Minister Abdulhamit Gul said.

On Sunday Mr Erdogan said the “shadow of the West” was behind Mr Gulen’s global organisation as well as terrorist groups Isis and al-Qaida and Kurdish separatists in Turkey and Syria.

US pastor Andrew Brunson has also been behind bars for a year in Turkey for alleged links to Mr Gulen.

Last month Mr Erdogan said the US was pressing Turkey to hand over one clergyman in return for another — seen as referring to Mr Gulen.