Trump explained that he let Turkey and the Kurds clash in Syria because the two sides "were like children fighting".

"That's the difference that I did. I said I would let them fight a bit," US President Donald Trump said on October 17 at a campaign in Dallas, Texas. clashes between Turkish army and Kurdish militia in northern Syria for days.

The statement was made by Trump after he received criticism for failing to prevent Turkey from attacking Kurdish militias, which are considered U.S. allies in the fight against terrorism. Many argue that Trump's decision to withdraw US troops from Syria is no different from the act of abandoning his allies, while the Kurds accuse the US of "stabbing in the back".

"It's like when two kids fight, you have to let them fight for a while before pulling it off," Trump explained further about his decision. "Turkey and the Kurds have been fighting a lot in the past few days."

Earlier, US Vice President Mike Pence successfully persuaded Turkey to suspend a military campaign against Kurdish militia (YPG) in northeastern Syria for five days. Trump welcomed Ankara's decision, saying it was a "situation in which all were satisfied" and praised Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan as "good leader".

Turkey launched Operation Spring of Peace in northeastern Syria on 9 October, in an attempt to repel the Kurds, which they consider terrorists, from the border and open a safety buffer of about 32 km wide. Trump's abrupt decision to withdraw troops from northern Syria was criticized as a "green light" for the operation, but the US president denied.

Brett McGurk, a former US special envoy for the international coalition against IS, described Trump likening Ankara and the Kurds as "two children" fighting "rude and ignorant". "200,000 innocent residents were displaced. Hundreds were killed. IS prisoners were fleeing. The Americans evacuated and bombed themselves on their own or handed over to Russia. Is it very similar to the two children?" ", McGurk wrote on Twitter.

The agreement that Pence mediated was not enough to please a number of US lawmakers, including Republican members. "In addition to giving the Kurds the opportunity to leave to avoid being attacked, the deal does not seem to bring change to any disturbing issue," said Republican Senator Marco Rubio.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, who is said to be a close ally of Trump, expressed hope on the outcome of Pence's negotiations, but said he would continue to push Turkey's sanctions bill to maintain pressure. with this country until the final agreement is signed.