Trump ‘will devastate Turkey economically if they hit Kurds’
Threat will not change plans to withdraw troops from Syria, says Pompeo
Turkish presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin said Trump should respect Washington’s alliance with Ankara.
“Mr @realDonaldTrump It is a fatal mistake to equate Syrian Kurds with the PKK, which is on the US terrorists list, and its Syria branch PYD/ YPG,” spokesman Ibrahim Kalin wrote on Twitter.
“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,” he said on Monday.
Safe zone proposal
Trump gave no details about the safe zone proposal, but Pompeo said Washington wanted to provide security for those who have fought against Daesh and to prevent any attack on Turkey from Syria.
“If we can get the space and the security arrangements right it would be a good thing for everyone in the region,” Pompeo added said.
Trump announced last month he would withdraw US forces from Syria, declaring they had succeeded in their mission to defeat Daesh and were no longer needed.
However, US officials have given mixed messages since then. The US-led coalition said on Friday it had started the pullout but officials said later it involved only equipment, not troops.
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Ankara was not against the idea of a secure zone along the border, but said strategic partners and allies should not communicate over social media.