US Senate to weigh bipartisan sanctions bill on Turkey

WASHINGTON — A key Republican ally of Donald Trump was to introduce tough sanctions against Turkey in the US Senate today, joining Democratic lawmakers in a sign of the bipartisan fury sparked by the US president’s abrupt decision to pull American troops out of Syria.

The Turkey Sanctions Bill is being presented in the Republican-majority Senate a day after the House of Representatives overwhelmingly condemned the withdrawal, rebuking the White House in a rare show of cross-party unity.

A total of 129 members of Trump’s Republican Party joined Democrats as the House voted 354-60 to denounce the pullout of US troops from northern Syria, which paved the way for a Turkish offensive against Kurdish militants.

While the House resolution just expressed disapproval, the bill being introduced in the Senate by Republican Senator Lindsey Graham and Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen has actual teeth, imposing wide-ranging mandatory sanctions on Turkey.

It imposes sanctions on the US assets of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and several members of his cabinet including the ministers of defense, foreign affairs and treasury.

It bans sales of American equipment to the Turkish military and threatens sanctions against any foreign company or individual selling weaponry to the Turkish armed forces.

Republican Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell expressed support for the Senate sanctions bill, which could be vetoed by Trump if it reaches his desk, but has not set a date for a vote.

— AFP