US, Turkey sanction alleged Islamic State Group supporters

By FATIMA HUSSEIN
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. and Turkey worked in coordination to impose sanctions on four people and two firms in Turkey alleged to provide financial support to the Islamic State group. Thursday’s sanctions actions freeze and block any potential transactions with U.S. entities and prevents Americans from doing business with them. In November, Defense Department officials warned that they were “deeply concerned” about escalating ISIS activities in Iraq, Syria and Turkey. “This escalation threatens the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS’s years-long progress to degrade and defeat ISIS,” said Pentagon Press Secretary Brig Gen Patrick Ryder.