US President Donald Trump warned today that he will “economically devastate” Turkey if it attacks the Kurds, who he also warned against provoking the Turkish government.
“We will raze Turkey economically if they attack the Kurds,” Trump says in a message on his Twitter account, adding that, “likewise, I do not want the Kurds to provoke Turkey.”
The president also mentions that the withdrawal of US troops in Syria has already begun while “the small remaining territorial caliphate” of the Islamic State (IS) group is being “forcefully attacked.
The United States began proceedings on Saturday to withdraw its 2,000 soldiers from the Arab country.
Trump also states in his message that Russia, Iran and Syria “have been the biggest beneficiaries of the US long-term policy of destroying IS in Syria,” although he admits that “we also benefit, but now is the time to bring to our troops. “
US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, had stated hours earlier that he is “optimistic” about the possibility of reaching a “good result” for the conflict between Turkey and Syrian Kurdish militias.
At a round table in Abu Dhabi with journalists accompanying him on his Middle East tour, Pompeo acknowledged on Sunday that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has a “right” to “defend his country from terrorists” and stressed that Kurdish militias People Protection Units (YPG) “are not terrorists” and “deserve to be protected”.
“There are still many details to be resolved, but I am optimistic that we can achieve a good result there,” he said.
Erdogan announced in December that he intends to launch an offensive in northern Syria against the YPG, a group he considers terrorist because of his links with the Turkish Kurdish guerrilla, the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).
The United States is the main ally of the YPG in its offensive against the terrorist group Islamic State (IS).
The withdrawal of US troops was not well received by Kurdish militias, who believe that the terrorist group IS has not been completely defeated and are also afraid of remaining defenseless in the face of Turkey’s threats. (EFEUSA) .-
