Trump hails Syria ‘breakthrough,’ lifts sanctions on Turkey
President Donald Trump hailed an apparent Turkish decision to halt a military offensive in Syria as a major breakthrough and said now the United States was getting out.
WASHINGTON — Proclaiming a “major breakthrough,” President Donald Trump said today that Turkey agreed to permanently suspend its military offensive in Syria. Trump said he would therefore lift sanctions imposed last week on three Turkish ministers and two ministries.
“This was an outcome created by us, the United States, and nobody else,” Trump, flanked by Vice President Mike Pence and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, said in remarks from the White House Diplomatic Reception Room, as if it was a top national security development. “This is something they've been trying to do for many, many decades.”
Evidently under the impression that a historic peace deal had been achieved, Trump said US forces would be leaving Syria, except for a small number of troops he decided should stay to prevent Iran or the so-called Islamic State (IS) from seizing oil fields in eastern Syria.
“We've secured the oil, and, therefore, a small number of US troops will remain in the area where they have the oil,” Trump said. “And we're going to be protecting it, and we'll be deciding what we're going to do with it in the future.”
