Turkey announces sanctions on Syria

Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu yesterday announced nine sanctions to be imposed by Turkey on Syria. After considering Arab League's decision to impose sanctions on Syria, Turkey determined its own sanctions. "The basic principle regarding the measures is to avoid hurting the Syrian people and punishing them or make them suffer for the mistakes made by the regime," said Davutoglu at a news conference. He added that Turkey would block the delivery of all weapons and military equipment to Damascus as part of the measures aimed at persuading Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad to end a violent crackdown against pro-democracy protesters. "All shipment of arms and military equipment through Turkey's land, airspace and seas will be prevented," he said.  Davutoglu also said that all the relations with Syria's Central Bank were being suspended and that a cooperation agreement with Syria was being halted until a new government is established. "Until a legitimate government which is at peace with its people is in charge in Syria, the mechanism of the High Level Strategic Cooperation Council has been suspended," Davutoglu said, adding that Assad's government had come "to the end of road." Turkey's measures include banning Syrian officials visiting Turkey, stopping transactions with the Syrian Central Bank, stopping transactions with the Commercial Bank of Syria, excluding current transactions, and announcing the suspension of the Eximbank loan agreement which was concluded to finance infrastructure projects in Syria.