From the Liveblog of
Wednesday, October 23, 2019
Trump lifts Turkey sanctions, says ceasefire saving ‘many, many Kurdish lives’
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleUS President Donald Trump says Turkey has informed the US it will make “permanent” a five-day ceasefire in Syria. In response, he says he’s directing the lifting of economic sanctions on Turkey.
Claiming success at the US-brokered effort, Trump says “this was an outcome created by us.” The ceasefire required Kurdish forces formerly allied with the US against the Islamic State group to move out of a roughly 20-mile (32-kilometer) zone on the Turkish border.
“We’ve saved the lives of many, many Kurds,” Trump says.
Trump says nearly all US troops will be leaving Syria but some will remain to safeguard oil fields in Syria. Russian forces have since begun joint patrols with Kurdish forces along the Turkish-Syrian border.
Trump says if Turkey breaches the ceasefire the sanctions could be reimposed.
— AP
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