US poised to impose sanctions against Turkey as Syria assault escalates
The US has said it is ready to impose sanctions on Turkey “at a moment’s notice” as the country ratchets up its assault on Syria.
Read more: Trump’s troop withdrawal will put Syrian Kurds in danger
Treasury secretary Steve Mnuchin said President Donald Trump was monitoring the situation ahead of a meeting of the National Security Council and was ready to put on sanctions.
“These sanctions could be starting small, they could be maximum pressure, which would destroy the Turkish economy,” Mnuchin told ABC News.
Last week Mnuchin announced that Trump had signed an executive order authorising economic penalties if Turkey crossed certain lines in its attack on Kurdish-led forces in the area.
But Turkey has dismissed calls for talks between the sides, saying it did not negotiate with forces it considers terrorists.
Separately, defence secretary Mark Esper said the US plans to withdraw 1,000 troops from northern Syria as Turkish forces push further south.
Turkey launched its offensive last week after the US announced it would withdraw from the area. The fighting has forced more 130,000 people to flee their homes, according to the UN.
Kurdish forces, known as the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), have accused Washington of reneging on an ally and warned the move would have a serious impact on the war against Islamist militants.
Kurdish officials have reported that more than 750 people with links to ISIS escaped from a camp during a Turkish attack. However, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has dismissed the reports, describing them as “disinformation”.
Read more: US pulls troops back in Syria, opening door for Turkish offensive
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has told Erdogan of his “grave concern” over the deteriorating situations and urged the Turkish president to halt the military operation.
Main image credit: Getty