The comment was made in a statement released by the White House, in which he claimed Turkey is committed to ensuring the safety of civilians, in spite of concerns that the country will target Kurdish fighters who helped fight against the Isis insurgency there.
"This morning, Turkey, a NATO member, invaded Syria. The United States does not endorse this attack and has made it clear to Turkey that this operation is a bad idea," the statement says. "There are no American soldiers in the area. From the first day I entered the political arena, I made it clear that I did not want to fight these endless, senseless wars—especially those that don’t benefit the United States."
He continues: "Turkey has committed to protecting civilians, protecting religious minorities, including Christians, and ensuring no humanitarian crisis takes place—and we will hold them to this commitment. In addition, Turkey is now responsible for ensuring all ISIS fighters being held captive remain in prison and that ISIS does not reconstitute in any way, shape, or form. We expect Turkey to abide by all of its commitments, and we continue to monitor the situation closely."
In an interview with US broadcaster PBS, Mr Pompeo defended Mr Trump's surprise decision to pull back US forces, adding that Turkey has a "legitimate security concern" and "a terrorist threat to their south".
He said reports the US had allowed Turkey to launch the offensive were "just false".
"The United States didn't give Turkey a green light," he said.
Gülnur Aybet, one of the Turkish president’s senior advisers, told CNN: “President Trump and President Erdogan have reached an understanding over precisely what this operation is.” Aybet added that Trump “knows what the scope of this operation is”.
Hours after the bombing began, Trump issued a statement mildly criticising the offensive aimed at Kurdish forces, which for nearly five years fought alongside the US against Isis.
“The United States does not endorse this attack and has made it clear to Turkey that this operation is a bad idea,” the statement said, before noting: “There are no American soldiers in the area.”
In remarks later, Trump presented the invasion as a historical inevitability, saying Turks and Kurds “have been fighting each other for centuries”. And he downplayed the US debt to Kurdish fighters, saying: “They didn’t help us in the second world war, they didn’t help us with Normandy … but they’re there to help us with their land.”
Timeline of US statements
6 Oct - White House releases statement announcing northern Syria withdrawal after Trump reportedly spoke to Erdogan
7 Oct - After criticism from his party, Trump defends exit. "Turkey, Europe, Syria, Iran, Iraq, Russia and the Kurds will now have to figure the situation out", he tweets. He also threatens to "obliterate" Turkish economy
8 Oct - Trump argues Turkey is a strong ally to US and Nato, tweeting, "but in no way have we Abandoned the Kurds, who are special people"
9 Oct - Pompeo says US did not authorise Turkish attack, saying: "The United States didn't give Turkey a green light"
10 Oct - Trump tells reporters the Kurds "didn't help us in the Second World War. They didn't help us with Normandy, as an example." Later he says "I hope we can mediate" between the Kurds and Turkey. Other options, he says, include US military deployment or "financially doing some very strong things to Turkey".
