USA: Syria 'very nicely under control' - Trump

*BUG AT SOURCE*
W/S US President Donald Trump and Italian President Sergio Mattarella at press conference in Washington DC
W/S Trump and Mattarella starting conference
SOT, Sergio Mattarella, President of Italy (Italian): "And as President Trump mentioned, we talked about Syria. We are deeply concerned with Turkey's offensive in the northeastern part of Syria, and this attack in a limited number of days has already caused a number of casualties and tens of thousands of refugees and displaced people."
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M/S Journalist asking question *CUTAWAY*
SOT, Sergio Mattarella, President of Italy (Italian): "This is an attack which also has another risk, namely that of offering new space, which was unthinkable to a few days ago to ISIS and to its criminal terrorist activities in Syria, in the Middle East. But not just in the Middle East, but also in other continents around the world. Italy, in line with the EU's position, condemns the Turkish operations, which are ongoing."
*IMMEDIATE TRANSLATION AT SOURCE*
M/S Mattarella and Trump shaking hands
SOT, Donald Trump, President of the United States: "No, President Erdogan's decision didn't surprise me because he's wanted to do that for a long time. He's been building up troops on the border with Syria for a long time, as you know. Our soldiers are mostly gone from the area."
M/S Journalist asking question *CUTAWAY*
SOT, Donald Trump, President of the United States: "But frankly, if Russia is going to help in protecting the Kurds, that's a good thing, not a bad thing, but it would be led by Syria. And Syria doesn't want Turkey to take its land. I can understand that. But what does that have to do with the United States of America, if they're fighting over Syria's land? Are we supposed to fight a NATO member in order that Syria, who is not our friend, keeps their land? I don't think so." *MULTIPLE SHOTS AT SOURCE*
M/S Journalist asking question *CUTAWAY*
SOT, Donald Trump, President of the United States: "The thing that's common is that everybody hates ISIS. Now, the PKK, which is a part of the Kurds, as you know, is probably worse at terror and more of a terrorist threat in many ways than ISIS. So it's a very semi-complicated, not too complicated if you're smart, but it's a semi-complicated problem. And I think it's a problem that we have very nicely under control. We have two countries wanting their land. We have one country that wants land perhaps that doesn't belong to them because they want to have a 22 mile strip of they call it freedom. They call it a lot of things. They want to get terrorists out. You have another country that says you can't have our land."
M/S Journalist asking question *CUTAWAY*
SOT, Donald Trump, President of the United States: "With that being said, Vice President Mike Pence is going there. He'll be leaving either late tonight or tomorrow. And he was going to leave yesterday but they have to have certain security done. He's a very important man in our country. And he'll be leaving with Secretary of State Pompeo. We already have representatives there negotiating with Turkey. We've put massive sanctions on Turkey and we have additional sanctions on Turkey."
M/S Journalist asking question *CUTAWAY*
W/S End of presser
SCRIPT
US President Donald Trump said that Syria was "very nicely under control" while speaking to the press alongside Italian President Sergio Mattarella in Washington DC on Wednesday.
Trump's remarks came after saying he was not surprised by Erdogan's decision to initiate operations in northern Syria "because he's wanted to do that for a long time."
Trump went on to say that "if Russia is going to help in protecting the Kurds, that's a good thing," and that he understands that Syria wishes to protect its land from Turkey, but asked "what does that have to do with the United States of America, if they're fighting over Syria's land? Are we supposed to fight a NATO member in order that Syria, who is not our friend, keeps their land? I don't think so."
Trump then said that "the PKK, which is a part of the Kurds, as you know, is probably worse at terror and more of a terrorist threat in many ways than ISIS. So it's a very semi-complicated, not too complicated if you're smart, but it's a semi-complicated problem. And I think it's a problem that we have very nicely under control."
Mattarella said that he was "deeply concerned" about Turkey's operations in Syria, and added that "Italy, in line with the EU's position, condemns the Turkish operations, which are ongoing."