Trump lifts Turkey sanctions, quits 'blood-stained' Syria

President Donald Trump ended sanctions against Turkey on Wednesday, drawing a line under American involvement in "blood-stained" Syria, as Turkish and Russian troops seized territory previously held by US troops and ir beleaguered Kurdish allies. "Let someone else fight over this long blood-stained sand," Trump said in a White House speech that formalized ceding of power in rrn Syria to Ankara and increasingly influential Moscow.

Trump said he was lifting sanctions because a ceasefire was holding in area, which Turkey inved to drive Kurdish military groups from ir strongholds.

Trump called ceasefire, which allowed Turkish takeover to proceed largely upposed, a "major breakthrough." Rejecting accusations that he betrayed Syrian Kurds -- who suffered thousands of casualties fighting alongside US troops against Islamic State (IS) jihist group -- Trump said y were happy.

president said Kurdish commander in country, Mazloum Abdi, h just told him he was "extremely thankful." Ankara ordered a cross-border operation into Syria on October 9 because it said it wanted to create a security cordon free of Kurdish armed groups that it considers to be terrorists, linked to Kurdish rebels inside Turkey.

long-planned operation started after Trump anunced exit of small, but politically significant US military force which h until n been closely allied with Kurds.

Trump said he didn't want US troops caught in middle of a Turkish-Kurdish war.

Accused both by Republicans and Democrats of abandoning Kurds, Trump imposed sanctions on Turkey on October 14 and sent a delegation to persue Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to order a brief ceasefire.

In a tweet from a spokesman on Wednesday, Abdi thanked Trump "for his tireless efforts that stopped brutal Turkish attack and jihist groups on our people." A group of US senators called in a Wednesday letter for US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to expedite a visa for Abdi so government could "hear directly... about situation on ground and fight" against IS.

As US soldiers and Kurds exited areas near Turkey's border, Turkish troops and Russian troops, who have propped up Syrian President Bashar al-Ass through his country's multi-sided civil war, moved in.

first Russian patrol in rrn Syria got underway on Wednesday, defense ministry in Moscow anunced.

Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu talked with Abdi and reassured him that civilians would t have to leave ir homes, a spokesman said -- apparently dressing allegations that Turkey will seek ethnic cleansing in region.

Critics of Trump say he has caved in to Turkey and been outplayed by Russia. "It is unthinkable that Turkey would t suffer consequences for malevolent behaviour which was contrary to interests of United States and our friends," tweeted Republican Senator Mitt Romney.

But Trump insisted that power shift is a win for Washington, because he is fulfilling a campaign promise to step away from "ancient sectarian and tribal conflicts."

Trump said re was risk that turmoil in area could le to a reconstitution of Islamic State, which has lost its once sizeable territories and has thousands of members and ir relatives kept in camps controlled by Kurds.

With concerns that Kurds may longer be able to monitor Islamic State prisoners, Trump said he expects Turkey to "abide by its commitment" to act as a "back-up to Kurds." "Should something happen, Turkey is re to grab m," he said.

He was speaking shortly after a US State Department official, James Jeffrey, testified in Congress that "over 100" Islamic State prisoners h escaped so far and "we do t kw where y are." Trump said that a "small number" of US soldiers would remain nearby, but purely to guard oil facilities.

His central mess was clear: that United States has business in Syria and that re was never any question of trying to stop NATO member Turkey from carrying out its invasion.

"We have spent USD 8 trillion on wars in Middle East, never really wanting to win those wars," Trump said.

However, isolationist policy grates on many Republicans, whom he is depending upon to save him from a Democratic push to impeach and remove him from office over allegations that he abused his office.

Immediately after speech, powerful Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said United States h to stay engd.

US air power must "continue to control skies over Syria" he said, ding that military should "have a small -- but capable -- military partnership" with Kurds to prevent Islamic State from reemerging.