A notification on the U.S. Department of the Treasury's website today, Tuesday, stated that the United States has imposed terrorism-related sanctions on two individuals living in Turkey, one Syrian and the other Turkish. The site revealed that the Syrian Omar al-Sheikh (a leader in Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and known as Jihad Issa, Abu Ahmad, and nicknamed Zokor) has been added to the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List for his association with the al-Nusra Front. Additionally, the Turkish individual Kubilay Sari, known as Sari, from Istanbul, was placed on the same list for his connection to the Tawhid and Jihad Brigade.
It was clarified that both mentioned individuals facilitate financial operations for terrorist organizations based in Syria. Brian Nelson, the Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, stated that "as terrorist groups continue to seek access to the international financial system, collaborating with our partners enhances our ability to disrupt these facilitation networks more effectively." The Treasury Department added that these new designations follow joint actions by the U.S. and Turkey on January 5, targeting a key financial network of the Islamic State.
