Trump: ‘Big sanctions on Turkey coming’

by Rachel Frazin - 10/14/19 8:00 AM ET

President Trump in a tweet early Monday vowed that “big sanctions” on Turkey are coming after its military launched an offensive in Northern Syria.

He also suggested that the Syrian Kurds targeted by Ankara may be releasing some ISIS prisoners to get the U.S. involved in the conflict.

“Big sanctions on Turkey coming! Do people really think we should go to war with NATO Member Turkey? Never ending wars will end!” he tweeted.

“We are not going into another war between people who have been fighting with each other for 200 years. Europe had a chance to get their ISIS prisoners, but didn’t want the cost. ‘Let the USA pay,’ they said,” he added. “Kurds may be releasing some to get us involved. Easily recaptured by Turkey or European Nations from where many came, but they should move quickly. “

Brian Kilmeade over at @foxandfriends got it all wrong. We are not going into another war between people who have been fighting with each other for 200 years. Europe had a chance to get their ISIS prisoners, but didn’t want the cost. “Let the USA pay,” they said…

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 14, 2019

….Kurds may be releasing some to get us involved. Easily recaptured by Turkey or European Nations from where many came, but they should move quickly. Big sanctions on Turkey coming! Do people really think we should go to war with NATO Member Turkey? Never ending wars will end!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 14, 2019

{mosads}Turkey’s military launched an offensive in northern Syria last week after the White House announced that U.S. troops would not be “in the immediate area.”

The announcement of the U.S. troop withdrawal sparked bipartisan criticism, with lawmakers saying the decision threatened both national security and allies.

Trump said in a Sunday tweet that the Treasury Department was “ready to go” with sanctions against Turkey. The president has threatened economic sanctions if Turkey treated Syrian Kurds, which allied with the U.S. in the fight against ISIS, inhumanely.

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin also said Sunday that his department could move forward “at a moment’s notice” with sanctions.

“We are in daily communications with Turkey, both at the Defense Department, the State Department, on very specific issues. We are ready to go at a moment’s notice to put on sanctions,” Mnuchin said.

“And as I’ve said, these sanctions could be starting small, they could be maximum pressure, which would destroy the Turkish economy,” he added.

According to The New York Times, ISIS has claimed responsibility for at least two attacks since the fighting in northern Syria began.

A Kurdish leader previously said in an op-ed that the U.S. had “betrayed” the Kurds and that forces guarding ISIS prisoners would need to be “redirected” to combat the Turkish military.

Tags Donald Trump sanctions Steven Mnuchin Turkey