Turkish Foreign Ministry in response to US sanctions threat : We will respond to any step taken against us

"Turkey is fighting terrorist organizations that pose a threat to its national security," the foreign ministry said in a statement on Friday.

He added that: "No one should doubt that we will respond ... to any step taken against us."

Earlier on Friday, US Treasury Secretary Stephen Mnuchin announced that US President Donald Trump had signed an executive order that would allow US officials to impose "serious" sanctions on Turkey for launching a military operation against Kurdish units in northern Syria.