In what appears to be a sudden decision by the Trump Administration, the White House issued a statement on Sunday announcing that US Armed Forces would immediately abandon northern Syria to the Turkish invasion.
The move would abandon the Kurdish fighters who have stood as America’s years-long allies against Islamic State terrorists to the invasion by Turkey, which has long labeled the Syrian Kurds themselves as “terrorists” and vowed to “eliminate” them.
“Today, President Donald J. Trump spoke with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan by telephone. Turkey will soon be moving forward with its long-planned operation into Northern Syria. The United States Armed Forces … will no longer be in the immediate area,” the statement read in part.
The full statement follows, courtesy of a tweet by NBC News.
BREAKING: In an extraordinary Sunday night statement, the White House announces that the US "will no longer be in the immediate area" of Northern Syria, allow Turkey to launch an invasion in the region and give Turkey responsibility for captured ISIS fighters in the area. pic.twitter.com/Ytu8t3BLUg
— NBC News (@NBCNews)
Erdogan and Trump have agreed to meet at the White House next month to discuss the creation of a so-called “safe zone” in northern Syria, according to the AFP news agency, quoting the Turkish presidency.
This weekend, Erdogan had warned Turkey could launch a cross-border offensive “as soon as today, tomorrow.”
Full text of the statement by the White House follows.
Statement from the Press Secretary
Today, President Donald J. Trump spoke with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey by telephone. Turkey will soon be moving forward with its long-planned operation into Northern Syria. The United States Armed Forces will not support or be involved in the operation, and United States forces, having defeated the ISIS territorial “Caliphate,” will no longer be in the immediate area.
The United States Government has pressed France, Germany, and other European nations, from which many captured ISIS fighters came, to take them back, but they did not want them and refused. The United States will not hold them for what could be many years and great cost to the United States taxpayer. Turkey will now be responsible for all ISIS fighters in the area captured over the past two years in the wake of the defeat of the territorial “Caliphate” by the United States.”