Islam Times - Trump On Turkey And Kurds: "Sometimes you have to let them fight, like two kids in a lot"

Trump On Turkey And Kurds: "Sometimes you have to let them fight, like two kids in a lot"

Islam Times - US President Donald Trump Thursday welcomed the temporary ceasefire in northern Syria and said he allowed Turkish and Kurdish forces to clash in deadly battle because they were ‘like children’ who needed to fight each other.

"Sometimes you have to let them fight," Trump told supporters at the American Airlines Center in Dallas on Thursday night, referring to Turkish and Kurdish forces.

"Like two kids in a lot, then you pull them apart," Trump said.

Trump added that after Turkish and Kurdish forces "fought for a few days," that "we went there and we said, ‘we want a pause.’"

Trump triggered the week-long Turkish offensive against the Kurds by withdrawing US troops from northeast Syria.

He stressed that “not one drop of American blood” was shed.

Earlier he hailed the announcement that Turkey had agreed to suspend its offensive, calling it a “great day” for the Turks and the Kurds.

“We have a five-day ceasefire,” Trump told reporters, after Vice President Mike Pence said Ankara had agreed to suspend its military operation, and end it entirely once Kurdish fighters withdraw from a safe zone along the Turkey-Syria border.

“It’s a great day for the United States,” the president said in Fort Worth, Texas, ahead of a re-election rally.

“It’s a great day for Turkey,” Trump said. “It’s a great day for the Kurds. It’s a great day for civilization.”

“This is a situation where everybody’s happy,” he declared.

Pence said on Thursday that Turkey agreed to end the military offensive in northern Syria after Kurdish fighters withdraw from Erdogan’s desired safe zone in Syria near the Turkish border, where the Turkish leader wants to relocate the estimated two million Syrian refugees who are in Turkey.

Trump said in return he would suspend the economic sanctions that he imposed on Turkey earlier in the week.

"President Erdogan was a gentleman, he understood," Trump noted. "But without a little tough love … they would’ve never made this deal.”

Trump was probably referring to his October 9 letter where he warned Erdogan “don’t be a fool” and said history risked branding him a “devil”.

The letter was shorn of diplomatic niceties and began with an outright threat. “Let’s work out a good deal!”

“You don’t want to be responsible for slaughtering thousands of people, and I don’t want to be responsible for destroying the Turkish economy – and I will,” he wrote.

“Don’t be a tough guy. Don’t be a fool!” he finished, adding: “I will call you later.”

In response, Turkey said Erdogan threw Trump's letter "in the bin".