Rep. Wild Statement on Withdrawal of U.S. Troops from Northern Syria

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Representative Susan Wild (PA-07), a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, issued the following statement on the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Northern Syria:

"I am alarmed by the President's decision to abandon our Kurdish allies in Syria—allies that have played a critical part in the fight against ISIS and endured overwhelming casualties as a result of their role on the frontlines of this effort.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan and other high-ranking Turkish officials have made their intentions clear through multiple public statements: they intend to invade Northern Syria and view our Kurdish partners, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), as an adversary. By agreeing to abruptly remove all U.S. forces from the area following a telephone call with President Erdogan—and only hours after President Erodgan explicitly threatened Kurdish forces in Northern Syria in public remarks—President Trump has given Turkey a green light to target steadfast U.S. partners who have served and sacrificed alongside our own forces.

Turkey is a NATO ally and an important partner of the United States, and I believe that we must take seriously concerns regarding Turkey's own internal security challenges. At the same time, we must also make clear that we will stand by our partners and fulfill our longstanding role as a stabilizing force between different parties that advance our core interests and values.

While I understand and share the President's commitment to bringing our troops home and drawing down our military presence in the Middle East, I believe that it is imperative that our nation undertake this process in an orderly and responsible fashion. As a Member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, I have a firsthand view of the need to maintain and strengthen the partnerships, alliances, and rules-based international order that administrations of both parties have shaped to advance our country's interests over generations.

I join many of my colleagues in both the House and the Senate—Republicans and Democrats alike—in urging the President to reverse course and act decisively to demonstrate to Turkey and the world that the United States will stand by our Kurdish allies and honor our commitments."