The military leader of the Kurds in Syria thanked President Donald Trump after a permanent cease-fire between Turkey, Syria, and the Kurds were announced.
“I just spoke with President Trump and explained to him the Turkish violations of the truce that would not have been possible without his great efforts,” General Mazloum Abdi, the top commander of the Syrian Defense Forces (SDF), said in an Oct. 23 statement.
“We THANK President Trump for his tireless efforts that stopped the brutal Turkish attack and jihadist groups on our people,” he added.
“President Trump promised to maintain a partnership with SDF and long-term support at various spheres.”
Trump told reporters he’d spoken with Abdi, saying, “General Mazloum has assured me that ISIS is under very very strict lock and key and the detention facilities are being strongly maintained, there were a few that got out, a small number relatively speaking and they have been largely recaptured.”
GEN.Mazloum:
1- I just spoke with President Trump and explained to him the Turkish violations of the truce that would not have been possible without his great efforts— Mustafa Bali (@mustefabali) October 23, 2019
GEN.Mazloum:
2. We THANK President Trump for his tireless efforts that stopped the brutal Turkish attack and jihadist groups on our people.— Mustafa Bali (@mustefabali) October 23, 2019
GEN.Mazloum:
3. President Trump promised to maintain partnership with SDF and long-term support at various spheres.
— Mustafa Bali (@mustefabali) October 23, 2019
Trump announced at a press conference on Wednesday that Turkey’s government informed him that the temporary cease-fire the United States helped negotiate on Oct. 17 was being made permanent.
“It will indeed be permanent. However you would also define the word ‘permanent’ in that part of the world as somewhat questionable, we all understand that. But I do believe it will be permanent,” Trump said.
He said he would direct the Treasury Department to “lift all sanctions” against Turkish officials that were imposed earlier this month.
The sanctions would not be lifted if Turkey “does something we’re not happy with,” he added.
After Trump announced the United States would withdraw its troops from northern Syria earlier this month, Turkey launched an incursion into the country, battling Kurds and pro-Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s forces.
The temporary cease-fire allowed Syrian and Kurdish forces to withdraw from a safe zone that was established to place a buffer area between Syrian and Turkish forces.
Trump told reporters in Washington this week that the United States still has a good relationship with the Kurds but didn’t agree to protect them forever.
From The Epoch Times
