Trump warns Turkey of economic devastation TURKEY SET TO CONTINUE FIGHT AGAINST KURDS WH SOUGHT MILITARY STRIKE AGAINST IRAN

Washington, Jan. 14: President Donald Trump warned Turkey on Sunday of economic devastation if it attacks Kurdish forces in the wake of the US troop pullout from Syria, while also urging the Kurds not to “provoke” Ankara.

Trump took to Twitter to reveal some of his latest thoughts in the slow dripdrip of information being released by his administration after his shocking December announcement of the troop withdrawal.

His top diplomat Mike Pompeo is on a whirlwind regional tour aimed at reassuring allies amid rising tensions between the US and Turkey over the fate of Washington's Syrian Kurdish allies in the fight against the IS.

Pompeo also sought to reassure Washington's Kurdish allies in the fight against IS, who fear the departure of American troops would allow Turkey to attack them.

Turkey had reacted angrily to suggestions that Trump's plan to withdraw troops was conditional on the safety of the Kurdish fighters, seen by the Turkish government as terrorists. Ankara (Turkey), Jan. 14: Turkey on Monday vowed to continue fighting a US-backed Kurdish militia which it views as a terrorist group after Donald Trump warned of economic devastation if Ankara attacks Kurdish forces as American troops withdraw.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's spokesman Ibrahim Kalin said on Twitter that there was “no difference” between the Islamic State extremist group and the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) militia.

“We will continue fight against them all.”

“Mr @realDonald Trump Terrorists can't be your partners & allies. Turkey expects the US to honor our strategic partnership and doesn't want it to be shadowed by terrorist propaganda,” Kalin said in a tweet to the US president. to Washington, Jan. 14: The White House demanded that the military draft plans for strikes on Iran after attacks in Iraq last year, sparking concern at the Pentagon and State Department, The Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday. The report said the move came after a mortar attack launched by an Iran-linked group on the Baghdad diplomatic quarters home to the US embassy in September. No one was hurt by the shells, which landed in an open lot.

But the White House National Security Council (NSC) sought to develop a forceful American response to the low-scale attack, including options for a strike against the Islamic republic, the Journal reported.

It added that the NSC also requested options to respond with strikes in Iraq and Syria.