Trump announces Turkey sanctions to be lifted

WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday the United States is lifting sanctions on Turkey, hailing the success of a ceasefire along its border with Syria.

The president, who has been under fire for abruptly withdrawing US troops from northern Syria, paving the way for Turkey to launch a deadly offensive against the Kurds, added that a “small number” of US troops would remain in the conflict-hit country.

“Earlier, this morning, the government of Turkey informed my administration that they would be stopping combat and their offensive in Syria and making the ceasefire permanent,” he said in a televised address from the White House.

“I have, therefore, instructed the secretary of the Treasury to lift all sanctions imposed October 14 in response to Turkey’s original offensive moves against the Kurds in Syria’s northeast border region,” he added.

His announcement came after a deal struck Tuesday in Sochi, under which Russia and Syria will “facilitate the removal” from the border region of Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) fighters, US allies against the Islamic State group.