The State Department said Tuesday it's not fair to blame the U.S. for Turkey's shaky economy, which has become more unstable over the last few days amid its plummeting economy.

When a reporter asked whether the Trump administration would ease back sanctions against Turkey in light of its falling currency, State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert dismissed the idea that recent U.S. sanctions against Turkey were the cause.

"Economists would certainly tell you that what is happening in Turkey goes far beyond the United States and the United States' recent policies and impositions of various policies and mechanisms," she said. "The economic woes did not begin when we put in place global Magnitsky sanctions on two individuals on Aug. 1 of this year."

[More: Turkey: 'Aggressive' US sanctions over pastor will be returned in kind 'without delay']

On that date, the U.S. sanctioned two Turkish officials for their role in holding a U.S. pastor who is facing espionage charges there. Pastor Andrew Brunson has been held in Turkey for nearly two years, and is suspected of helping orchestrate a failed 2016 coup against Turkish President Recept Tayyip Erdogan.

Tensions have been rising between the U.S. and Turkey in recent months. The Trump administration has said it would not send Turkey a cleric living in Pennsylvania who Turkey says played a role in the coup.

And last week, President Trump said he would double the tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from Turkey to counteract Turkey's falling currency, which makes its exports less expensive.