Erdogan: No guarantee for Kurds
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused the US national security adviser of making ‘‘a very serious mistake’’ by demanding that Ankara guarantee the safety of Kurdish fighters in northeastern Syria before the United States withdraws its troops from the war-torn country.
A strained morning of negotiation in Turkey ended without assurances of protection for forces that fought alongside US troops against the Islamic State group, and indeed brought them fresh new threats from Turkey. The diplomatic setback raised fresh questions about how the US would protect its allies in the fight against IS and about the pace of the drawdown of US forces in Syria.
‘‘John Bolton has made a very serious mistake. We cannot make any concessions in this regard,’’ Erdogan said yesterday, just before Bolton left the country with tensions between the Nato allies at new highs. He added that Ankara’s preparations for a new military offensive against what the Turkish leader describes as terror groups in Syria are ‘‘to a large extent’’ complete.
Bolton had insisted that Turkey refrain from conducting any operation unless it was approved by and co-ordinated with the US. Turkey’s presidential spokesman fired back publicly that Turkey would not seek permission from its allies to conduct a military offensive against Syrian Kurdish fighters, but was willing to coordinate operations.
A senior administration official said Erdogan’s comments did not reflect President Donald Trump’s understanding of his December 23 conversation with the Turkish leader, days after the US president announced his intent to withdraw American troops from northeastern Syria. Trump ‘‘thought he got a commitment from Erdogan’’ to protect the Kurds, the official said.
An official at yesterday’s meeting between Bolton and senior Turkish officials said presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin stated that Erdogan committed that Turkey would not take offensive action while US forces were there.
Bolton departed Turkey without meeting Erdogan in an apparent snub by the Turks – the meeting had been expected for days. A spokesman for Bolton said US officials were told Erdogan cited the local election season and a speech to parliament for not meeting him.
In the more than two-hour meeting with Kalin, Bolton outlined five US principles for the Syria drawdown, including that ‘‘the United States opposes any mistreatment of opposition forces who fought with us against Isis.’’
In the high-stakes session in Ankara’s presidential complex, Bolton also rebuked Erdogan’s column in in which the Turkish leader restated his position that the Syrian Defence Forces were members of terrorist groups.
An official at the meeting said Bolton told Kalin that Erdogan’s op-ed was ‘‘wrong and offensive’’.
The official added that the US stuck by Trump’s request that the Kurds who fought with the US not be mistreated, and the Turks stuck by their position that the Kurds ‘‘are terrorist groups and they’re free to go after them’’.
Trump abruptly announced last month he intended to withdraw US troops from Syria, and the US has sent mixed signals over how soon that would be accomplished. Bolton’s trip to the Middle East was aimed at assuring allies it would not be done precipitously.
But Kalin told reporters after the talks that US officials have said that the withdrawal could take place within ‘‘120 days.’’ –