This archive report was first published on 18 October 2019.
On October 18, 2019, US President Donald Trump announced that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had expressed his desire for a ceasefire in Syria to work.
According to Trump, Erdogan 'very much wants the ceasefire, or pause, to work' and that 'the Kurds want it, and the ultimate solution, to happen.'
Trump also stated that 'there is good will on both sides & a really good chance for success' in achieving the ceasefire.
He added that the US had secured the oil in the region and that the ISIS fighters were 'double secured by Kurds & Turkey.'
Furthermore, Trump claimed that 'some' European countries were willing to take back ISIS fighters who originated from their nations, a move he described as 'good news'.
Trump's comments came after Erdogan warned that Turkey would resume military operations against Kurdish forces in Syria if they did not withdraw from a 'safe zone' along the Turkey-Syria border.
