US President Donald Trump stated on Wednesday that he would lift the sanctions against Turkey after Ankara announced that the ceasefire in northern Syria is permanent. The decision includes lifting sanctions from Turkish Defence Minister Hulusi Akar, Energy Minister Fatih Donmez, and Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu.
Trump noted, however, that the White House will reinstate sanctions if the Turkish forces break their obligations.
"We've saved the lives of many, many Kurds", he stressed, explaining the US actions in the region, adding that his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan "is doing the right thing for his country".
The US president stressed that both Turkey and Syria must ensure that Daesh* doesn't reclaim any territory.
According to the POTUS, the US should only send troops into battle where the national interest is at stake, so only a small number of soldiers will remain in Syria in order to secure the oil fields.
Commenting on the situation in the region, a senior US administration official stated that there is no evidence that Ankara has carried out ethnic cleansing against the Kurds. The official also noted that Washington still hopes Turkey won't deploy the Russian S-400 anti-aircraft systems.
In the meantime, Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) commander Mazloum Kobani has reportedly said that Trump promised to continue supporting the militants, maintaining their partnership.
The sanctions were introduced after Ankara launched an operation in northern Syria, targeting Daesh terrorists as well as the US-backed SDF, which, according to Turkish authorities, are part of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), banned in the country.
On Thursday, however, Vice President Mike Pence announced that Ankara had agreed to a five-day ceasefire. After the truce expired, Turkey stated that the offensive was complete.
* Daesh (ISIL/ISIS/IS/Islamic State) is a terrorist organisation banned in Russia