Biden Removes Türkiye from 2019 Sanctions List Over Operation Peace Spring, Acknowledging NATO Ally

Jan 17, 2025, 07:16 AM

Outgoing U.S. President Joe Biden has revised a 2019 executive order, removing all references to Türkiye that were related to sanctions imposed due to Türkiye's Operation Peace Spring in Syria. The original executive order, Executive Order 13894, signed by then-President Donald Trump on October 14, 2019, had targeted Türkiye's actions in northeast Syria. Biden's amendments, outlined in Executive Order 14142, reflect changes in the situation on the ground in Syria since the operation concluded over five years ago. The revised order retains the U.S. authority to impose sanctions on individuals who threaten Syria's peace, security, stability, or territorial integrity, or who are involved in serious human rights abuses. This move is seen as an important legal gain for Türkiye, a NATO ally, which had long demanded its complete removal from the 2019 executive order.