ISTANBUL — President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey said Saturday that he was ordering reciprocal sanctions against two American officials in retaliation for United States measures against two of his ministers, escalating a diplomatic wrangle between the NATO allies.

“Those who think that they can make Turkey take a step back with ridiculous sanctions have never known this country or this nation,” Mr. Erdogan said in a speech in the capital, Ankara. “We have never bowed our heads to such pressure and will never do so.”

The Turkish action came after the White House announced sanctions freezing the assets of the Turkish interior and justice ministers this past week, in protest against Turkey’s detention of an American pastor, Andrew Brunson.

Mr. Erdogan said he would order his government to “freeze the assets” in Turkey of the American counterparts of the targeted Turkish officials, describing them as “the U.S. justice and interior ministers.” Such an order would be largely symbolic. It’s unclear whether American officials would have assets in Turkey.