The United States President Donald Trump warned Turkey on Sunday, not to attack US-backed Kurdish militia forces in Syria after US troops pullout from the region, and vowed to devastate Turkey’s economy if it targets Kurdish militants, and called for a 20-mile safe zone between Kurdish fighters and the Turkish border.
According to The Wall Street Journals news reports, the US president took it on Twitter and called upon America’s Kurdish alliance not to provoke Turkey, and claimed the US forces still committed fighting against Islamic State militants in Syria.
In a tweet, Trump wrote: “Starting the long overdue pullout from Syria while hitting the little remaining ISIS territorial caliphate hard, and from many directions. Will attack again from the existing nearby base if it reforms.”
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) January 13, 2019
He added: “Will devastate Turkey economically if they hit Kurds. Create a 20-mile safe zone. Likewise, do not want the Kurds to provoke Turkey.”
Trump on Sunday also said Iran, Syria, and Russia have been benefited from the counter-ISIS campaigns led by the US in Syria. Trump, in a tweet, wrote: “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!”
….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) January 13, 2019
Turkish officials in Washington did not immediately respond to Trump’s statement and could not be reached for comments.
Last week, Trump’s national security advisor John Bolton said the US pullout from Syria is contingent on whether the Turkish government could guarantee the safety of Kurdish fighters across its border. Bolton’s this statement raised a strong rebuke from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, prompting him to refuse to hold a meet with Bolton. Later on that day, Erdogan, in his parliamentary speech, said Bolton has made a “serious mistake”.
A monitor said on Saturday, around 600 people were evacuated from remaining IS holdout in eastern Syria, as Kurdish fighters prepare for the final assault in the region.
Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights head Rami Abdel Rahman said several dozens of jihadist fighters were among those people evacuated from the region held by the Kurdish-Arab alliance. Rahman said, since starting December, around 16,000 people including 760 IS fighters have yet fled the area.