Mnuchin: More US sanctions on Turkey to come if no ceasefire in Syria

Mnuchin: More US sanctions on Turkey to come if no ceasefire in Syria
October 17, 2019, 4:35 am

The United States is prepared to ratchet up economic pressure on Ankara if Turkish forces do not agree to cease their offensive in northern Syria, US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said on Wednesday.

“Additional sanctions will be coming if they don’t institute a ceasefire,” he told reporters.

Earlier on Wednesday, Turkey’s foreign ministry is preparing retaliatory sanctions against the United States after US President Donald Trump imposed sanctions on Ankara over its offensive in northeastern Syria, presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin said.

On Monday, the US Treasury slapped punitive sanctions on Turkey’s defense minister and two other ministers in response to Ankara’s military assault on northern Syria.

Minister of Defense Hulusi Akar, Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu, and Energy Minister Fatih Donmez were placed on the Treasury’s sanctions blacklist, freezing their US assets and banning US or US-related transactions with them.

The Defense and Energy ministries were also hit with sanctions, the Treasury said.

Turkey assault in northeast Syria displaced 300,000: Monitor Blow to PM Johnson as N. Ireland’s DUP says it can't support current Brexit deal