WASHINGTON, Oct 8 (NNN-AGENCIES) — President Donald Trump has threatened to destroy Turkey’s economy if Turkey goes “off limits” after his surprise decision to pull US forces out of north-eastern Syria.
In a series of angry tweets, Trump defended the move that could open the way for Turkey to launch an attack on Kurdish fighters across the border.
The withdrawal was heavily criticised even by Trump’s Republican allies.
Kurdish forces were key US allies in defeating the Daesh in Syria.
The US has some 1,000 troops across Syria and about two dozen had been pulled out from the border area, according to a senior state department official.
The withdrawal was described by the main Kurdish-led group as a “stab in the back”, and critics say it could facilitate Daesh resurgence and leave Kurdish forces at risk of being attacked by Turkey, which regards them as terrorists.
But Trump warned Turkey not to take advantage of his decision – which goes against the advice of senior officials in the Pentagon and state department – saying he could “destroy and obliterate” its economy.
Last year, the US raised tariffs on some Turkish products and imposed sanctions on top officials as relations between the two Nato countries worsened over a number of issues.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said his aim is to combat Kurdish fighters in the border area and set up a “safe zone” for up to two million of the more than 3.6 million Syrian refugees currently living in Turkey.
The country’s defence ministry tweeted later that the establishment of such a zone is “essential” for Syrians and for peace in the region. “All preparations for the operation have been completed,” the tweet said in Turkish.
In a statement, Pentagon spokesman Jonathan Hoffman said “the Department of Defense made clear to Turkey – as did the president – that we do not endorse a Turkish operation in Northern Syria”.
Earlier, Trump said it was time “to get out of these ridiculous Endless Wars, many of them tribal” and that “Turkey, Europe, Syria, Iran, Iraq, Russia and the Kurds will now have to figure the situation out”.
Kino Gabriel, spokesman for the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) – which occupy former IS territory in north-eastern Syria – told Arabic TV station al-Hadath that the move “was a surprise and we can say that it is a stab in the back for the SDF”
Trump’s decision was announced by the White House late on Sunday after a phone call with Erdogan. Turkey considers the Kurdish YPG militia – the dominant force in the SDF alliance – an extension of the banned Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which has fought for Kurdish autonomy in Turkey for three decades.
