The proposal for sanctions against Turkey has been submitted to the U.S. Senate.

U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Lindsey Graham presented a sanctions bill against Turkey to the U.S. Senate, citing concerns regarding northern Syria.

U.S. Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen and Republican Senator Lindsey Graham announced in a joint statement last night that they have introduced a sanctions bill against Turkey, which they named the "2024 Turkish Aggression Prevention Act," to the U.S. Senate.

"IT IS ESSENTIAL TO SUPPORT OUR SYRIAN KURDISH PARTNERS"

In the joint statement by the two senators, it was stated, "The attacks by Turkey-backed forces on our Syrian Kurdish partners are undermining regional security and efforts to prevent the resurgence of ISIS. Today, Senator Graham and I introduced a bill that envisions sanctions against Turkey if they do not accept a ceasefire and a demilitarized zone. We want a united, inclusive, and stable Syria for all Syrians, and supporting our Syrian Kurdish partners is essential to achieving this goal."

WHAT HAPPENED?

The two senators had stated on Wednesday that "they are ready to introduce a sanctions law against Turkey this week if Ankara does not immediately accept the conditions for a permanent ceasefire and a demilitarized zone, and that these sanctions would be presented with a framework similar to the bill jointly introduced by Van Hollen and Graham in 2019."

On the other hand, Republican Senator John Kennedy, in a speech on Thursday regarding developments in northern Syria, said, "Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan hates the Kurds; leave the Kurds alone." Emphasizing the role of the SDF in the fight against ISIS and threatening Turkey with sanctions, Kennedy stated, "Mr. Erdoğan does not like the Kurds, and I will not comment on that, but Erdoğan has armed groups and tanks on the Turkey-Syria border, and our intelligence indicates that Erdoğan is trying to invade Syria."