A top US Treasury official is set to visit Turkey next week for talks on American sanctions against Russian entities and the illicit activities of Palestinian militant group Hamas, according to people familiar with the discussions,
Bloomberg reports.
Treasury Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian Nelson is expected to meet his Turkish counterparts in his second visit to Ankara this year, the people said, asking not to be identified citing the sensitivity of the matter.
Nelson will ask for Turkish compliance with unilateral US sanctions against a number of Russian entities and Hamas’s financial activities, the people said. The US Treasury last month expanded a list of sanctioned individuals in Turkey that it said provided a front for Hamas, which is designated a terrorist organization by the US and European Union.
A spokesperson for the US Treasury and the Turkish government declined to comment.
Washington has imposed sanctions on about a dozen Turkish firms and some individuals for running an investment portfolio on behalf of Hamas or helping Russia evade sanctions. The US has also warned a number of Turkish companies about possible sanctions that may disrupt their ties with the Western financial system, the people said.
