Press Releases
Congressman Van Drew to Co-Sponsor Resolution to Sanction Senior Turkish Officials and Stop Arms From Going to Turkish Forces in Syria
Washington, DC,
October 15, 2019
 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 15, 2019
CONTACT – Mackenzie Lucas 1(202)225-6572
Congressman Jeff Van Drew will co-sponsor a bipartisan resolution introduced by House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Elliot Engel and Ranking Member Michael McCaul to impose economic sanctions on senior Turkish officials and financial institutions that facilitate transactions for the Turkish military and defense industry. The resolution is a response to Turkey’s encroachment and hostilities towards the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) following the withdrawal of U.S. troops from northern Syria. The SDF have been a key American ally in the fight against the ISIS terrorist threat. With American support, the SDF had recaptured ISIS territory and jailed over 10,000 ISIS fighters.
Specifically, the legislation would:
• Sanction and ban senior Turkish officials involved in the assault from entering the United States
• Stop arms from going to Turkish forces operating in Syria
• Impose immediate sanctions on Turkish financial institutions that facilitate transactions for the Turkish military and defense industry
• Require the Administration to write a plan to ensure ISIS detainees held in Syria remain under proper custody and do not threaten U.S. security interests
• Require the Administration to create a plan for how the United States will assist Syrian Kurdish communities, including those needing immediate humanitarian aid
Congressman Van Drew said, “I strongly disagree with the president’s decision to withdraw U.S. troops from northern Syria. President Erdogan of Turkey wasted no time in beginning his offensive in the region, and we must work in a bipartisan manner to immediately stop Turkey from killing our allies in the fight against terrorism. The tragic events of 9/11 taught us that we must fight the enemy head-on before they attack us at home. Turkey’s attacks have set the stage for a resurgence of ISIS as many ISIS prisoners formerly held by the SDF have already escaped prison due to Turkey’s assault on the SDF.”
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