Trump lifts sanctions on Turkey

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Turkey may have breached a cease-fire less than 24 hours after President Donald Trump withdrew sanctions on the country. The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces said Turkey and its Syrian allies targeted three villages on Thursday, causing thousands of civilians to flee.

How will the United States respond? Since Turkey began its offensive earlier this month, Trump raised steel tariffs back to 50 percent, froze negotiations on a $100 billion in trade, and imposed sanctions on senior officials. On Wednesday, he said Turkey assured him the cease-fire announced this week would be “permanent.”

“Should Turkey fail to honor its obligations, including the protection of religious and ethnic minorities, which I truly believe they will do, we reserve the right to reimpose crippling sanctions,” he said Wednesday.

Dig deeper: Read Mindy Belz’s report on how the U.S. withdrawal from the region has allowed Turkish forces to target civilians.

Onize Oduah

Onize is WORLD’s Africa reporter and deputy global desk chief. She is a World Journalism Institute graduate and earned a journalism degree from Minnesota State University–Moorhead. Onize resides in Abuja, Nigeria.

@onize_ohiks