Trump lifts sanctions on Turkey, says cease-fire permanent

WASHINGTON -- President Donald Trump said Wednesday he will lift sanctions on Turkey after the NATO ally agreed to permanently stop fighting Kurdish forces in Syria and he defended his decision to withdraw American troops.

"We're getting out," Trump said at the White House, asserting tens of thousands of Kurdish lives were saved as the result of his actions.

"Let someone else fight over this long, blood-stained sand," he said.

The president, who campaigned on a promise to cease American involvement in "endless wars," took a victory lap as he lopped the American presence inside Syria in less than a year from about 2,000 troops to a contingency force in southern Syria of 200 to 300.

Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle chastised the president for turning on the Syrian Kurds, whose fighters battled side by side with American troops to beat back the Islamic State group They also questioned whether the move has opened up the region to a resurgence of IS.

"I am worried that a full withdrawal will create space for ISIS to regroup, grow and gain more strength," said Michael McCaul of Texas, the lead Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee. "We learned from President Obama's reckless retreat from Iraq that power vacuums are exploited by America's worst enemies. We do not want to repeat the same mistake. We must learn from history."

Trump warned if Turkey does not honor its pledge for a permanent cease-fire, he will not hesitate to reimpose sanctions. Earlier this month, Trump halted negotiations on a $100 billion trade deal with Turkey, raised steel tariffs back up to 50% and imposed sanctions on three senior Turkish officials and Turkey's defense and energy ministries.

"The job of our military is not to police the world," Trump said. "Other nations must step up and do their fair share. Today's breakthrough is a critical step in that direction."

Trump earlier in October ordered the bulk of the approximately 1,000 U.S. troops in Syria to withdraw after Turkey's president, Recep Tayipp Erdogan, told Trump in a phone call Turkish forces were set to invade northeastern Syria. Turkey's goal was to push back the U.S.-allied Kurdish fighters. Turkey views the Kurds as terrorists and an ever-present threat along its southern border with Syria.

The U.S. pullout was seen as an abandonment of Kurdish fighters, who have incurred thousands of casualties as they fought with U.S. forces against the Islamic State militants.

The U.S. troops left, but the conflict was not without repercussions.

Trump's critics say he gave up American influence in the region and signaled to future allies that the United States is no longer a reliable partner. More than 176,000 people have been displaced by the Turkish offensive and about 500 IS fighters gained freedom during the conflict.

"There were a few that got out, a small number relatively speaking," Trump said. "They've been largely recaptured."