US blacklists Turkish firm for trade with North Korea

WASHINGTON - Associated Press

The U.S. is blacklisting a Turkish company and two executives for allegedly attempting to circumvent sanctions prohibiting sales of weapons and luxury goods to North Korea.

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin says in a statement that SIA Falcon International Group and the individuals acting on its behalf "are blatantly attempting to flout longstanding U.N. sanctions" against the North. Those penalties are intended deprive the North Koreans government of revenue for its nuclear weapons program.

The Treasury says that earlier this year, SIA Falcon officials hosted in Turkey a diplomat from North Korea’s embassy in Mongolia to negotiate trade deals involving weapons and luxury goods.

The executives named in Thursday’s action are SIA Falcon CEO Hüseyin Şahin and its general manager Erhan Culha.

They’re now blocked from doing business with Americans.