U.S. President Donald Trump has bluntly warned Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan not to attack America’s Kurdish allies in Syria – not now, and not after the U.S. pulls its forces out of Syria either.
In one of his more iconic, blunt tweets on Sunday, Trump confirmed that U.S. forces have indeed begun the “long overdue” pullout from Syria, albeit while continuing to hit the “little remaining ISIS territorial caliphate hard, and from many directions.”
Starting the long overdue pullout from Syria while hitting the little remaining ISIS territorial caliphate hard, and from many directions. Will attack again from existing nearby base if it reforms. Will devastate Turkey economically if they hit Kurds. Create 20 mile safe zone….
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump)
But more to the point, Trump warned the U.S. will “devastate Turkey economically if they hit Kurds.” And instead, urged, “Create 20 mile safe zone” for the forces who had fought alongside American forces against the Islamic State terrorists in northern Syria for so long.
Cognizant that the animosity isn’t at all one-sided, however, Trump added in a second tweet, “…Likewise, do not want the Kurds to provoke Turkey.”
….Likewise, do not want the Kurds to provoke Turkey. Russia, Iran and Syria have been the biggest beneficiaries of the long term U.S. policy of destroying ISIS in Syria – natural enemies. We also benefit but it is now time to bring our troops back home. Stop the ENDLESS WARS!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump)
Erdogan has been threatening and planning for months to send the Turkish army into northern Syria on a mission to annihilate the YPG “People’s Protection Unit” of the Syrian Kurdish population in the country.
The Turkish president insists that the YPG is an affiliate of the PKK, a Kurdish group that is an internationally-recognized terrorist organization acknowledged by Israel and the United States. However, the YPG is not perceived in the same light by the U.S. or by Israel, and in fact has fought together with American forces as allies in the battle against ISIS.
