Donald Trump celebrates the developments in northern Syria after the Turkish invasion as a "great success" of his policy. The Turkey-aspired "security zone" has now been created, wrote the US President on Twitter.
The five-day and on Tuesday expired ceasefire held, and the fighting is over, he claimed. Trump also wrote that the Kurds are "safe" and have "worked very nicely with us". In addition, detained members of the jihadist militia "Islamic State" (IS) would continue to be held securely.
Big success on the Turkey / Syria Border. Safe Zone created! Ceasefire has been launched. Kurds are safe and have worked very nicely with us. Captured ISIS prisoners secured. I want to make a statement at 11:00 AM from the White House. Thank you!
- Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 23, 2019Evidence of his track record was not given by Trump. The US President is due to his Syria course massively in the criticism, including from the ranks of its own Republican Party. He had decided after a telephone conversation with the Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan on 6 October, the withdrawal of American soldiers from northern Syria. Thus, Trump cleared the way for the Turkish offensive against the Kurdish People's Defense Units (YPG) in the area. The YPG were until then the most important ally of the US in the fight against the IS.
Trump denied that he had given Erdogan the go-ahead for the military operation and had sanctions imposed on Turkey. This did not stop the bipartisan criticism from the congress. The House of Representatives criticized the US withdrawal as a grave error on Wednesday of last week with the votes of numerous Republicans in a resolution.
On Thursday, Erdogan then agreed after talks with US Vice President Mike Pence in a five-day ceasefire, which should allow the withdrawal of YPG from the "security zone". On Tuesday, the US government, citing Kurdish information, said the Kurdish fighters had moved completely out of the area. The Turkish Ministry of Defense then declared that "at the present time" a "new mission" is not necessary.
The Turkish offensive has driven hundreds of thousands of civilians to flight in northern Syria. It has also increased Russia's influence in Syria (read an analysis here). Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin arranged joint patrols on the border with Turkey. Moscow is allied with the Syrian ruler Bashar al-Assad and has supported it massively in the civil war.
