Biden removes Türkiye sections from 2019 US executive order on Syria

WASHINGTON

Outgoing US President Joe Biden has revised a 2019 executive order on the situation in Syria, removing sections from it having to do with Türkiye.

Biden reported to Congress that he made the changes in view of changing circumstances on the ground in post-Assad Syria and to take additional steps on the national emergency declared in Executive Order 13894, issued in October 2019 during the first term of then-President Donald Trump.

After Türkiye launched the anti-terrorist Operation Peace Spring on Oct. 9, 2019 in northern Syria, near the Turkish border, the Trump administration imposed sanctions on three Turkish officials and two ministries.

Operation Peace Spring was carried out on the basis of the right of self-defense in accordance with Article 51 of the UN Charter and relevant resolutions of the UN Security Council on the fight against terrorism to ensure the removal of the PKK/YPG and Daesh/ISIS terrorist organizations from the areas in question, which were threatened by the terrorists.

In its 40-year terror campaign against Türkiye, the PKK – listed as a terror organization by Türkiye, the US and the EU – has been responsible for the deaths of more than 40,000 people, including infants, women, and children.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ The YPG is the PKK’s Syrian branch.

Biden's new step was considered an important legal gain for Ankara, which has long demanded that Türkiye be completely removed from the 2019 executive order.

According to Biden's Executive Order 14142, Executive Order 13894 is amended by "striking from the second paragraph the phrase ', and in particular the recent actions by the Government of Turkey to conduct a military offensive into northeast Syria,'."

"The order makes minimal edits to Executive Order 13894 in light of the fact that certain operations referenced in that order ceased 5 years ago. In particular, under the amended order, the United States may still sanction any person determined to be responsible for or complicit in, or to have directly or indirectly engaged in, or attempted to engage in actions or policies that further threaten the peace, security, stability, or territorial integrity of Syria or the commission of serious human rights abuse," according to the order.

Biden is set to leave office on Monday, with Trump returning to succeed him after a four-year absence.