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Bipartisan Bill Sanctions Turkey, Imposes Swift Consequences for Syrian Assault

Washington D.C.—House Foreign Affairs Committee Lead Republican Michael McCaul (R-TX) and Chairman Eliot Engel (D-NY) today introduced the Protect Against Conflict with Turkey (PACT) Act, legislation to impose sanctions and other consequences against Turkey for its invasion of northern Syria.

The PACT Act (H.R. 4695) provides a strong, targeted response to the crisis caused by Turkey’s invasion of northern Syria. It sanctions senior Turkish officials involved in the decision and those committing human rights abuses; penalizes Turkish financial institutions involved in perpetuating President Erdogan’s corrupt practices and those which deal with the Turkish defense industry; prevents the sale of arms to Turkey for use in Syria; requires the Administration to impose CAATSA sanctions for Turkey’s purchase of the S-400; requires a series of reports to address the negative consequences of the Turkish invasion of northern Syria; and mandates a report on Erdogan’s net worth and assets.

An earlier draft text of this bill was released on Friday. The updated introduced text of H.R. 4695 can be found here.

“Yesterday, the House of Representatives passed my resolution with Chairman Engel calling on Turkey to end its incursion into Syria. The carnage that we have seen over the past week against our Kurdish partners and innocent civilians has been unbearable. There must be consequences. That’s why we introduced a very tough and comprehensive sanctions package to punish Turkey for its actions. The President has already begun implementing sanctions and this legislation builds upon those. My number one priority is protecting the homeland from external threats and that’s at the heart of this bill,” said Lead Republican McCaul.

“What’s happening in Northern Syria right now is a disgrace. Congress must speak out and show decisive action to hold accountable those who created this catastrophe: President Erdogan, who is directing this slaughter, and President Trump, who opened the door to the Turkish incursion and betrayed our Kurdish partners. The Turkish operation is threatening our national security, allowing ISIS to escape, and creating a humanitarian crisis,” said Chairman Engel. “Yesterday, the House rebuked President Trump with an overwhelming bipartisan majority. Today, we are introducing sanctions to hold Erdogan accountable. Congress must continue bipartisan work to address the disastrous consequences of President Trump’s decision.”

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