Trump to lift sanctions on Turkey with ceasefire

WASHINGTON — 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” ceasefire along the border with Syria. At a hastily organized event in the Diplomatic Reception Room of the White House, Trump also used the occasion to justify his “America First” foreign policy agenda, pushing back against critics by arguing that he is removing U.S. troops from a region where they should not be involved. “Let someone else fight over this long-bloodstained sand,” Trump said. He took credit for the ceasefire and suggested the agreement would save tens of thousands of Kurdish lives in the region — even though one 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 American troops depart and U.S. influence wanes. The Trump administration announced 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. In his remarks Wednesday, Trump called the ceasefire “permanent” but added that the word is a “questionable” one to use when discussing the region — and said sanctions on Turkey would be lifted “unless something happens that we’re not happy with.” Trump also said Kurdish general Mazloum Abdi assured him Islamic State fighters will remain in captivity.