Amid claims that Turkey is committing “war crimes” in northern Syria, President Donald Trump on Sunday said that he’s considering “powerful sanctions” as a solution.
In an earlier tweet, he said that Turkey and the Kurds have been fighting for a considerable amount of time, saying that Turkey considers the Kurdistan Worker’s Party, or PKK, to be the “worst terrorists of all.”
“Others may want to come in and fight for one side or the other. Let them! We are monitoring the situation closely. Endless Wars!” he tweeted.
The series of comments came after Defense Secretary Mark Esper noted that Turkey may be committing war crimes in the region.
“It’s a very terrible situation over there, a situation caused by the Turks. Despite our opposition, they decided to make this incursion,” Esper said.
![Smoke rises over the Syrian town of Tel Abyad, as seen from the Turkish border town of Akcakale in Sanliurfa province, Turkey, on Oct. 10, 2019. (Murad Sezer/Reuters)](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimg.theepochtimes.com%2Fassets%2Fuploads%2F2019%2F10%2F11%2FTurkey-Syria-Conflict-1200x675.jpg&w=1200&q=75)
![People look out from an apartment building which was damaged by a rocket fired from Syria, in Nusaybin, Turkey, on Oct. 10, 2019. (Sertac Kayar/Reuters)](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimg.theepochtimes.com%2Fassets%2Fuploads%2F2019%2F10%2F11%2FTurkey-Kurd-Conflict-7-1200x800.jpg&w=1200&q=75)
Esper also confirmed that about 1,000 U.S. soldiers would be withdrawn from northern Syria.
“Turkey committed this action despite our protestations, all of our warnings,” Esper added. “We are doing what’s in the interest of our service members not to put them in harm’s way.”
On Saturday, the White House announced the United States will send $50 million in stabilization assistance to Syria.
![Smoke rises from an explosion in the border town of Tel Abyad, Syria, as seen from Akcakale, Turkey on Oct. 9, 2019. (Haberturk/via Reuters TV)](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimg.theepochtimes.com%2Fassets%2Fuploads%2F2019%2F10%2F10%2Ftel-abyad-1200x675.jpg&w=1200&q=75)
“We hope regional and international partners will continue their contributions as well,” the statement continued. “Ensuring the freedom and safety of ethnic and religious minorities remains a top priority for this Administration.”
Over the weekend, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that sanctions and arms embargoes won’t stop Turkey’s offensive in Syria.
On Thursday, France and Germany announced the embargoes to Turkey.