US President Donald Trump has imposed sanctions on Turkey, including two ministries and three ministers, to force Ankara to "immediately end" its military offensive against Kurdish forces in northeastern Syria, the US Treasury Department said on Monday.
The sanctions included the Ministries of Defense and Energy and the Ministers of Energy, Defense and Interior, who have been barred from entering the United States and from any international financial transaction in US dollars, and their funds in the United States, if any, have been frozen, the ministry said in a statement.
The sanctions were imposed by an executive order just signed by Trump, which also sanctioned a large number of Turkish officials involved in acts that endanger or destabilize civilians in northeastern Syria.
For his part, US Secretary of State, Mike Bombo, in a statement: "If the Turkish operation will continue to aggravate an already serious humanitarian crisis and growing with potentially serious consequences."
Pompeo said: "To avoid further sanctions under this new executive order, Turkey must immediately end its unilateral attack in northeastern Syria and resume dialogue with the United States on security" in the region.
The US Congress threatens to impose broader economic sanctions on Turkey.