UPDATE - Türkiye criticizes extension of US Executive Order on Syria

ADDS BACKGROUND

By Necva Tastan Sevinc

ISTANBUL (AA) - Türkiye on Saturday criticized the US decision to extend Executive Order 13894 on Syria for a further year.

“The decision by the US Government to extend Executive Order 13894, first issued in 2019 within the context of developments in Syria, for a further year is incompatible with the realities on the ground,” Türkiye’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Oncu Keceli said in a statement.

On Thursday, the US extended Executive Order 13894, citing an “unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States.”

Responding to the move, Keceli said: “Instead of repeating such prejudiced steps, supporting Türkiye's policies prioritizing Syria's territorial integrity and political unity would contribute to regional stability.”

In 2019, Türkiye launched Operation Peace Spring on Oct. 9, invoking its right to self-defense under Article 51 of the UN Charter. The operation aimed to neutralize terrorist groups, particularly PKK/YPG, in northern Syria, and ensure border security.

At that time, the US, which had been cooperating with the terrorist group under the guise of fighting against Daesh (ISIS), declared a national emergency for Syria, claiming that the conditions in Syria were disrupting the fight against ISIS.

This executive order also granted the US power to impose sanctions.