Sanctions fail to stop Turkey’s move
Russia-backed Syrian army enters the city of Manjib, filling a void created by America’s abrupt retreat
WASHINGTON/ANKARA: US President Donald Trump has vowed to “swiftly destroy” Turkey’s economy if it did not stop its “heinous acts” in Syria. His administration imposed sanctions targeting Turkey’s defence and energy ministries and three top ministers.
Under pressure from allies and critics who have accused Trump of green-lighting Turkish invasion against Syrian Kurds, the American president has warned Ankara of consequences for precipitating a humanitarian crisis by killing civilians and endangering ethnic minorities.
Ankara, however, ignored the sanctions from the US to press on with its assault on northern Syria on Tuesday, while the Russiabacked Syrian army entered one of the most hotly contested cities, Manjib - filling a void created by Trump’s abrupt retreat.
“The US will aggressively use economic sanctions to target those who enable, facilitate and finance these heinous acts in Syria,” Trump said in a statement on Monday. “I am fully prepared to swiftly destroy Turkey’s economy if Turkish leaders continue down this dangerous and destructive path.”
He added that the US is suspending negotiations with Turkey for a $100 billion trade deal and hiking import duties on steel from Turkey to 50%.
The US treasury department followed up with an announcement sanctioning Turkey’s ministries of defence, energy and natural resources, and the ministers of defence, interior and energy Hulusi Akar, Suleyman Soylu and Fatih Donmez, respectively.
Trump’s decision to withhold protection of Syria’s Kurds after a phone call with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan a week ago swiftly upended five years of US policy in West Asia.
Meanwhile, Britain and Spain joined other major powers on Tuesday in suspending military exports to Turkey.
NEW BATTLEGROUND
An important flashpoint is the city of Manbij, west of the Euphrates River, which Turkey has vowed to capture. The area had been patrolled jointly by US and Turkish forces under a deal aiming to persuade Turkey not to invade. The Russian-backed Syrian forces appear to have now moved swiftly to fill the void.
ERDOGAN: OFFENSIVE SET TO CONTINUE
Erdogan said on Tuesday that Turkey’s operation against Kurdish militants would not stop until “our objectives have been achieved”. He said, “God willing, we will quickly secure the region stretching from Manbij to our border with Iraq.”