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US senators suggest imposing sanctions on Erdogan’s assets in US

he bill also prohibits US military assistance to Turkey, including the sale of US defense articles, services, technology and materials to the Turkish armed forces

WASHINGTON, October 10. /TASS/. US senators Chris Van Hollen and Lindsey Graham suggested imposing sanctions on Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s assets in the US due to the start of the Turkish operation in Syria.

The main provisions of the initiative, released by the senators via Twitter, also include sanctions against the US assets of Turkey’s vice president, minister of national defense, foreign minister, minister of treasury and finance, minister of trade and minister of energy and natural resources.

Apart from that, the document envisages visa restrictions against the Turkish leadership and the use of CAATSA (Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act) against Turkey for Ankara’s purchase of S-400 surface-to-air missile systems from Russia.

It also envisages sanctions against "any foreign person who sells or privides financial, material or technological support or knowingly does a transaction with the Turkish military."

The bill also prohibits US military assistance to Turkey, including the sale of US defense articles, services, technology and materials to the Turkish armed forces.

The document also stipulates restrictions against the Turkish energy sector, which include blacklisting "any foreign person or entity who supplies goods, services, technology, information, or other support that maintains or supports Turkey’s domestic petroleum production and natural gas production for use by its armed forces."

According to Van Hollen, the above-mentioned measures would "have immediate, far-reaching consequences for Erdogan and his military."

The initiative will be brought before the US Senate in mid-October, when lawmakers resume their work after parliamentary recess.

"[We] will ask for an immediate vote to send a clear message to Turkey that it must cease and desist its military action, withdraw its fighters from the areas under attack, and stop the tragic loss of life," the US senator wrote.

On Wednesday, Ankara launched a new military operation in northern Syria dubbed Peace Spring, which began with airstrikes on positions of Kurdish units. The objective is to create a buffer zone in northern Syria where up to 3 million Syrians refugees could return, Ankara believes. Syria’s SANA news agency branded the operation as aggression. Following these developments, France, Germany, the UK, Belgium and Poland called for a UN Security Council closed-door meeting on Syria, which will be held on Thursday.