Trump Says Erdogan Told Him ‘Minor’ Syria Shooting Now Over
Trump Says Erdogan Told Him ‘Minor’ Syria Shooting Now Over
(Bloomberg) -- President Donald Trump downplayed ongoing hostilities near the Turkey-Syria border on Friday after a temporary cease-fire was reached a day earlier in Ankara.
"Just spoke to President @RTErdogan of Turkey. He told me there was minor sniper and mortar fire that was quickly eliminated. He very much wants the ceasefire, or pause, to work. Likewise, the Kurds want it, and the ultimate solution, to happen," Trump tweeted, referring to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Trump on Thursday said the agreement for Turkey to pause its military operations against American-allied Kurdish fighters in northern Syria marked a "great day for civilization."
In a series of tweets Friday, Trump also said that European nations are now willing to take Islamic State fighters who had come from their countries.
The accord came after a hastily arranged one-day trip to Ankara by Vice President Mike Pence and Secretary of State Michael Pompeo. The deal -- a five-day military pause that may lead to a longer term arrangement -- enshrined Erdogan’s control of a 20-mile “safe zone” in northern Syria, demanded the retreat of Kurdish fighters his government considers terrorists and secured a promise that U.S. sanctions will be withdrawn.
To contact the reporter on this story: Joshua Gallu in Washington at jgallu@bloomberg.net
To contact the editors responsible for this story: Alex Wayne at awayne3@bloomberg.net, Kevin Whitelaw
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