The U.S. Treasury Department on Thursday announced sanctions against five al-Qaida supporters in Turkey. Photo by Pete Marovich/UPI |
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Sept. 17 (UPI) -- The Biden administration has imposed sanctions against five supporters of al-Qaida in Turkey who have provided financial and travel assistance to the terrorist organization.
In a statement Thursday, the Treasury sanctioned Majdi Salim, Muhammad Nasr al-Din al-Ghazlani, Nurettin Muslihan, Cebrail Guzel and Soner Gurleyen under an executive order signed by then-President George Bush in the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attack to stem financial resources that fund terrorist activities.
"These targeted sanctions highlight the United States' unwavering commitment to sever financial support to al-Qaida," Director of the Office of Foreign Assets Control Andrea Gacki said. "We will continue working with our foreign partners, including Turkey, to expose and disrupt al-Qaida's financial support networks."
The federal agency said Salim, a Turkey-based Egyptian-born lawyer, was a primary facilitator of a range of activities for the terrorist group in his adopted country where he acted as a financial courier within al-Qaida's domestic network.
Al-Ghazlani, an Egyptian national, was also named by the Treasury as a "veteran" facilitator for al-Qaida in Turkey and who provided funds on behalf of the terrorist organization to families of imprisoned members.
Muslihan, a Turkish national, was accused of working to establish communication with al-Qaida extremists and who received the assistance of Guzel, also a Turkish national.
The federal agency said Turkish national Gurleyen worked as a financial facilitator and provided an al-Qaida member with travel assistance.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken vowed Thursday that the United States will continue to work with allies to identify, expose and disrupt the terrorist organization's support networks.
"The United States will never forget the victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks and al-Qaida's other plots around the world," he said in a separate statement. "We will continue to target those who seek to inflict harm on the United States, our citizens and our interests."
