President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that the United States will lift sanctions on Turkey, saying that the Turkish government has informed the White House that it will abide by what he characterized as a “permanent” cease-fire along the border with Syria.
The Trump administration had announced the sanctions on Oct. 14 after the Turkish military offensive against Kurdish-led forces in northern Syria. That offensive followed Trump’s announcement that he would pull U.S. troops from Syria – a decision that brought stiff, bipartisan criticism.
In remarks at the Diplomatic Reception Room of the White House on Wednesday morning, Trump called the cease-fire “permanent” but added that the word is a “questionable” one to use regarding the region – and said sanctions on Turkey would be lifted “unless something happens that we’re not happy with.”
A day earlier, Russia and Turkey agreed to a plan to push Syrian Kurdish fighters from a wide swath of territory just south of Turkey’s border, cementing Russian President Vladimir Putin’s preeminent role in Syria as U.S. troops depart and America’s influence wanes.
The agreement will leave Turkey and Russia in control of territory formerly held by Kurdish forces once allied with the United States.
Trump has been harshly criticized by members of both parties over his decision earlier this month to withdraw U.S. troops from northeastern Syria, with many arguing that Trump gave Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan the green light to launch a military offensive against the Syrian Kurds.
But in a tweet Wednesday morning, Trump proclaimed that the situation on the Turkey-Syria border was a “big success.”
“Safe Zone created!” Trump said. “Ceasefire has held and combat missions have ended. Kurds are safe and have worked very nicely with us. Captured ISIS prisoners secured.”
(c) 2019, The Washington Post · Felicia Sonmez
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