The Trump administration is working to designate the Muslim Brotherhood a foreign terrorist organization, the White House said on Tuesday, which would bring sanctions against it. "The president has consulted with his national security team and leaders in the region who share his concern, and this designation is working its way through the internal process," White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said in an email. Designating the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist designation could complicate Washington's relationship with NATO ally Turkey. The organization has close ties with President Tayyip Erdogan's ruling AK Party and many of its members fled to Turkey after the group's activities were banned in Egypt. Turkey is under threat of US sanctions if it pursues plans to purchase Russian S-400 missile defense systems, which are not compatible with NATO systems. Washington also says Turkey's purchase of the S-400s would compromise the security of F-35 fighter jets, which are built by Lockheed Martin Corp and use stealth technology. The US administration debated the terrorist designation for the Muslim Brotherhood shortly after Trump took office in January 2017. Some branches of the Brotherhood, including the Palestinian group Hamas, have engaged in anti-government violence and provoked violent government reactions. Ayman al-Zawahiri, the leader of Al-Qaeda, was once a member of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood. — Reuters
