US Sanction Relief In NE Syria Is Discriminatory – Turkish FM

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu described on Friday the US general license to exempt areas in northeast Syria from Caesar Act as a selective and discriminatory step.

The Turkish foreign minister made his words during a joint press conference with his counterpart from the Democratic Republic of Congo Christophe Lutundula Apala.

“This is a selective and discriminatory move. They will have flexibility on implementing Caesar Act in certain areas,” Cavusoglu added.

The US move should have included Idlib where millions of people need humanitarian aid, he stated, recalling that more Syrians would be able to return home if the conditions would be improved through foreign aid.

He affirmed that his country is working to build 100.000 houses in the region calling on the international community for support.

On Thursday, the Department of the Treasury issued a general license authorizing activities in northeast and northwest Syria in 12 sectors.

The US general license does not cover Afrin which is occupied by Turkey and the affiliated Syrian opposition factions.

It also does not apply to Idlib, a province controlled by the hardline Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS, formerly al-Nusra Front).

Turkish Presidents Racap Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday that his country rejects Washington’s decision to exempt areas held by the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) from sanctions.

Erdogan added that Turkey cannot accept the “US wrong decision”.

Source: US sanction relief in NE Syria is discriminatory – Turkish FM

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