Washington DC, Oct 10: A bipartisan group of US Senators has on Thursday proposed legislation calling for a wide-range sanction against Turkey, including a visa ban on Ankara’s senior officials in the midst of Turkey’s offensive operation in northern Syria.
On Wednesday, Senator Chris Van Hollen and Lindsey Graham presented the bill which stated: “Mandatory sanctions go into effects upon enactment of this Act unless the administration certifies to Congress – every 90 days – that Turkey is not operating unilaterally … in Syria and has withdrawn its armed forces, including Turkish supported rebels, from areas it occupied during the operation beginning October 9, 2019.”
Both the senators drafted the bill as a retaliatory action to recent Turkey’s offensive operation “Operation Peace Spring” in Syria that kicked-off on Wednesday, Sputnik reported.
The Turkish defence ministry said on Thursday the nation’s troops are continuing their advancement into northern Syria following its launched offensive operation – “Operation Peace Spring“, to remove PKK/YPG groups that control northern Syria.
Oktay also said Ankara’s decision of advancing into Syria is in line with self-defence set out in the United Nations (UN) charter.
The two Turkish operations were in accordance with the nation’s right to self-defence, borne out of the international law, UNSC resolutions, particularly no. 2178 (2014), 2170 (2014) and 1624 (2005), and under the right to self defence under Article 51 of the UN charter.
Turkey has on Monday conducted an airstrike attack on a military installation of Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), downing two bridges in the northeast Syrian province of Hasakah. However, there were no reports of casualties but found a mass military buildup at the Syrian border.
SDF said on Monday American armed forces have withdrawn from the northeast Syria borders region along Turkey, as they failed to fulfil their obligations under the reached agreement.