US imposes sanctions on Turkey due to invasion of Syria

The United States imposed sanctions against the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Energy of Turkey in connection with the situation in Syria. The decree signed by US President Donald Trump allows further sanctions to be introduced.

The sanctions also included the Minister of Defense, the ex-commander of the General Staff of Turkey Hulusi Akar, the Minister of Energy Fatih Donmez and the deputy chairman of the ruling Justice and Development Party Suleiman Soilu, writes Air force.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the purpose of the sanctions is to force Turkey to immediately stop its offensive in Syria and return to dialogue with the United States. Otherwise, he threatened Ankara with new sanctions.

Earlier, Trump, announcing the sanctions, wrote on Twitter that he would order the termination of trade negotiations with Turkey and the return of 50 percent duties on steel imports, reduced to 25% in May.

“I will soon sign a decree authorizing sanctions against current and former officials from the Turkish leadership, as well as against any people destabilizing the situation in northeast Syria. I am prepared to destroy Turkey's economy without delay if Turkey's leaders continue down this dangerous and destructive path,” Trump wrote.

A Turkish military operation against Kurdish groups in northern Syria began last week.

Until recently, the Kurds were allies of the United States in the fight against the jihadist group “Islamic State” (banned in Russia). But late last week, Trump announced the withdrawal of American troops from Syria. This decision was criticized by the American establishment, and the Kurds called it a “stab in the back.”

On the subject: US imposes new sanctions against Russia over Syria

Trump himself made it clear, on the one hand, that he would not impede the Turkish operation, and that the US military would neither participate nor help the Kurds in Syria in any way. On the other hand, Trump threatened to destroy the Turkish economy if Ankara does something that the American president does not like.

On Sunday, Kurdish forces agreed to help with official Damascus. Syrian forces on Monday shifted forces north to the Turkish border. The agreement between the Kurds and Assad's forces was promoted by the main ally of the Syrian government of Russia.

Turkey wants to drive out the Kurdish militia in the north from Syria. The Turkish authorities believe that the Syrian Kurds are associated with the Kurdistan Workers Party, which has been fighting for the creation of Kurdish autonomy within Turkey for more than 30 years and which Ankara calls a terrorist organization.

On October 9, Turkey launched a military operation in northern Syria called “Source of Peace.” The goal of the operation is to oust Kurdish militias from the northern regions of Syria and create a “security zone” in which Turkey plans to accommodate two million Syrian refugees.

US intends to withdraw its troops from Syria

On October 7, the White House officially announced that the United States would withdraw its troops from the mostly Kurdish areas of northern Syria and would not take part in Turkey's anti-terrorism operation against Islamic State militants in the area. This was stated in a statement issued by the Donald Trump administration.

Photo: twitter.com/NBCNews

As reported 7 October Present Tense, US President Donald Trump on the eve discussed the planned operation of Turkey by telephone with Turkish President Recep Erdogan. The Turkish president announced that the US has already begun withdrawing its troops from the area where the operation will be conducted.

In a statement, the White House said that American troops had completed their task of defeating the Islamic State terrorist group in northern Syria. From now on, Turkey will be responsible for all IS militants who were captured in areas adjacent to the Turkish border in the last two years.

Trump later tweeted that it was “time for the US to get out of these endless wars” in Syria, “many of them tribal,” and to “bring our soldiers home.”

Photo: twitter.com/realDonaldTrump

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