advertisement

The Latest: Trump says Turkey calls cease-fire 'permanent'

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Latest on President Donald Trump and Syria (all times local):

11:45 a.m.

President Donald Trump says Turkey has informed the U.S. it will make "permanent" a five-day cease-fire in Syria. In response, he says he's directing the lifting of economic sanctions on Turkey.

Claiming success at the U.S.-brokered effort, Trump said Wednesday, "this was an outcome created by us." The cease-fire required Kurdish forces formerly allied with the U.S. against the Islamic State group to move out of a roughly 20-mile (32-kilometer) zone on the Turkish border.

Trump says, "We've saved the lives of many, many Kurds."

Trump says nearly all U.S. 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 cease-fire the sanctions could be reimposed.

___

10:10 a.m.

President Donald Trump says he'll make a statement from the White House later Wednesday morning on what he's calling the "big success" along the Turkey-Syria border.

Trump tweets that he'll discuss the cease-fire between Turkey and Syrian Kurdish forces. According to Trump, the Kurds are "safe," and he says captured Islamic State fighters are "secured" in detention centers.

But since Turkey invaded northern Syria, several hundred IS fighters have escaped from prison, U.S. troops have withdrawn from the area and America has lost influence in the region.

Turkey and Russia reached an agreement Tuesday that would transform the map of northeast Syria, installing their forces along the border and filling the void left by the abrupt withdrawal of U.S. troops.

President Donald Trump gestures while speakings during a Cabinet meeting in the Cabinet Room of the White House, Monday, Oct. 21, 2019, in Washington. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais) The Associated Press
President Donald Trump gestures while speaking during a Cabinet meeting in the Cabinet Room of the White House, Monday, Oct. 21, 2019, in Washington. Sitting on the right is Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais) The Associated Press
President Donald Trump speaks during a Cabinet meeting in the Cabinet Room of the White House, Monday, Oct. 21, 2019, in Washington. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais) The Associated Press
Syrian government forces deploy near the town of Tal Tamr, north Syria, Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2019. Russia and Turkey announced an agreement Tuesday to jointly patrol almost the entire northeastern Syrian border after the withdrawal of Kurdish fighters, cementing the two countries' power in Syria in the wake of President Donald Trump's abrupt withdrawal of U.S. forces. (AP Photo/Baderkhan Ahmad) The Associated Press
President Donald Trump, left, and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, right, pause during an opening prayer given by Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson during a Cabinet meeting in the Cabinet Room of the White House, Monday, Oct. 21, 2019, in Washington. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais) The Associated Press
Article Comments
Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.