President Trump on Wednesday ordered an end to economic sanctions against Turkey, declaring success for his policy despite a widespread belief among lawmakers of his own party and foreign policy experts that the U.S. withdrawal from the region has been a victory for Turkey and Russia. AdvertisementThe Kurdish withdrawal has allowed at least some people associated with the Islamic State to escape from prisons where they were being guarded by Kurdish forces. The sanctions Trump lifted had been imposed by his administration just over a week ago to punish Turkey for the incursion into Syria. “Turkey, Syria and all forms of the Kurds have been fighting for centuries,” he said. Trump has denied giving Erdrogan a green light for his Syria invasion, although the U.S. troop withdrawal effectively did so.

Source: Los Angeles Times October 23, 2019 15:56 UTC