US Is 'Very Tough' On Turkey; Pence, Pompeo To Visit Ankara: Donald Trump

US President Donald Trump said US is being "very tough" on Turkey and strongest sanctions have been imposed on Ankara. Trump, who was speaking to reporters at the White House, reiterated that his administration wants to bring US soldiers back home. A delegation led by vice-president Mike Pence is set to leave for Ankara in order to stop Turks to stop their ground offensive in Syria. The delegation including Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and National Security Advisor Robert O’ Brien will meet Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Oct 17. 

“Mike (Pence) is getting ready to make a big trip. He will be leaving tomorrow (Wednesday). We have a delegation leaving today and Mike is setting it up with Secretary Pompeo. They will be leaving tomorrow and we are having very strong talks with a lot of people”, Trump said.

Responding to the critics of his move to pull back US troops from Syria, Trump said, “We want to bring our soldiers back home after so many years and they are the greatest warriors in the world.”

Moreover, US has imposed sanctions on Turkish ministries and senior officials, and there’s proposal to raise steel tariffs and end negotiations on a USD 100 billion trade deal.

Also Read: Turkey's 'Unilateral Invasion' Has Resulted In Widespread Casualties, Says Pentagon

Taking a dig at Trump's 'green signal' for Turkey's offensive, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senator Chuck Schumer in a joint statement said, “The chaos and insecurity unleashed in Syria by President Trump’s disastrous decision to precipitously withdraw from northern Syria require strong, smart leadership from Congress.”

“Since President Trump gave Turkey the green light to attack our Kurdish partners, Democrats and Republicans in the House and Senate have been united in our swift and serious condemnation of this reckless action, which threatens countless lives, endangers our Kurdish partners and undermines our credibility in the world”, the statement adds.