US slaps sanctions on Turkey over Syria offensive

US has imposed sanctions on Turkey's ministries and senior government officials over the country's military offensive in northern Syria.

US has already imposed a 50 per cent tariff hike on Turkish steel. However, Ankara has not responded to the impositions so far.

Washington's latest move move comes after Turkey launched a military operation in northern Syria last week after the US, an ally of Kurdish militia People's Protection Units (YPG), in the war against Islamic State militants, announced its withdrawal from the area, Efe news reported.

Turkey considers the Kurdish militia group a terrorist organisation.

The Kurdish leadership in the area reached agreement over the weekend with the government in Damascus led by President Bashar al-Assad that will see the Syrian Army enter the region to counter the Turkish offensive.

According to the state-run news agency Anadolu, Turkish troops and Ankara's allies reinforced their presence in Yarabulus -- west of the Euphrates river -- which is under Turkish control since 2016.

The area is located some 40 km (nearly 25 miles) from Manbij, where Assad has deployed his troops.

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has vowed that he would continue with the plan of taking control of the northeastern border of Syria, including Manbij, a bridgehead of the Kurdish militia west of the Euphrates.IANS