“I like the Kurds,” he told Rudaw when asked what he will do to guarantee Kurdish rights, adding that “Kurds were paid tremendous amounts of money - we have given oil and other things. So, they were doing that for themselves, more so they were doing it for us. But we get along with the Kurds and we are trying to protect the Kurds.”
His comments come amid ongoing attacks by the Syrian Arab Army on the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), despite a four-day ceasefire announced by Damascus late Tuesday. Kurds have taken to the streets in SDF-held northeast Syria (Rojava), the Kurdistan Region, Turkey, and several European countries. Some protesters have expressed anger at the United States for failing to protect the Kurds despite a decade-long partnership in the fight against the Islamic State (ISIS).
The Syrian government said on Tuesday that they have reached a “mutual understanding” with the SDF on several issues concerning the future of the Kurdish-majority Hasaka province.
Following the announcement of the deal, the Syrian defense ministry declared a four-day ceasefire starting at 8pm local time. However, the SDF has reported several attacks by Damascus-affiliated forces since then.
Trump’s envoy for Syria said the “greatest opportunity for the Kurds in Syria right now lies in the post-Assad transition under the new government led by President Ahmed al-Sharaa,” referring to the country’s interim president.
Updated at 11:56 pm
