The sanction was imposed on the PJAK "a Kurdish group operating in the border between Iraq and Iran ... for being controlled by the terrorist group Kongra-Gel (KGK, aka the Kurdistan Workers Party or PKK)," the statement added.

"With today's action, we are exposing PJAK's terrorist ties to the KGK and supporting Turkey's efforts to protect its citizens from attack," said Stuart Levey, Treasury Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence.