Countering Turkish Aggression Act of 2019

Countering Turkish Aggression Act of 2019

This bill directs the President to impose sanctions related to Turkey.

The President shall impose property- and visa-blocking sanctions on specified officials of Turkey's government, such as the president and vice president of Turkey. The President shall also impose property-blocking sanctions on (1) Turkiye Halk Bankasi AS, a Turkish state-owned bank; (2) any foreign financial institution that knowingly facilitates transactions for Turkey's armed forces or defense industry relating to military operations in Syria; (3) any foreign person that knowingly sells to, provides support to, or conducts a transaction with Turkey's armed forces; (4) any foreign person that supplies goods or services that support petroleum production for use by Turkey's armed forces; and (5) any foreign person that sells or provides support that significantly facilitate Syrian energy production for use by Russia, Iran, Turkey, or Syria's government.

The President shall also prohibit any U.S. person from (1) engaging in any transaction with such sanctioned persons, or (2) purchasing Turkey's sovereign debt.

The President shall impose additional sanctions on Turkey based on Turkey's purchase of a surface-to-air defense system from Russia.

No funds may be obligated or expended to transfer to Turkey's armed forces any U.S. defense articles, services, or technology.

The President may terminate such sanctions and prohibitions upon certifying to Congress that Turkey and affiliated groups have met certain conditions, such as stopping their attacks on the Syrian Kurdish community and withdrawing from certain locations in Syria.