*Administration of Donald J. Trump, 2019 *

**Statement on Turkey's Invasion of Syria **

*October 9, 2019 *

This morning Turkey, a NATO member, invaded Syria. The United States does not endorse this attack and has made it clear to Turkey that this operation is a bad idea. There are no American soldiers in the area. From the first day I entered the political arena, I made it clear that I did not want to fight these endless, senseless wars, especially those that don't benefit the United States. Turkey has committed to protecting civilians, protecting religious minorities, including Christians, and ensuring no humanitarian crisis takes place, and we will hold them to this commitment. In addition, Turkey is now responsible for ensuring all ISIS fighters being held captive remain in prison and that ISIS does not reconstitute in any way, shape, or form. We expect Turkey to abide by all of its commitments, and we continue to monitor the situation closely.

NOTE: The statement referred to the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) terrorist organization.

*Categories:* Statements by the President : Turkey, incursion into northern Syria*.*

*Subjects:* Armed Forces, U.S. : Servicemembers :: Deployment; North Atlantic Treaty Organization; Terrorism : Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) terrorist organization; Turkey : Syria, role.

*DCPD Number:* DCPD201900708.