Turkey slams U.S. support of Kurds fighting IS in Syria
KUWAIT CITY — The Trump administration’s appeal for unity fell on a critical deaf ear Tuesday as the latest expression of U.S. support for Kurdish rebels in Syria enraged America’s NATO ally, Turkey, and overshadowed Secretary of State Rex Tillerson’s plea for nations fighting the Islamic State to overcome rivalries and concentrate on eradicating the extremist group from the Middle East.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan bashed the United States for proposing to send $550 million in new assistance to Syrian opposition forces. Most, if not all, will go to Syrian Kurds, counted on by the U.S. to defeat IS forces.
Turkey has been attacking the Kurds in Syria for the past three weeks, despite U.S. calls for restraint. And Erdogan’s angry comments — including a warning that Turkey’s foes may feel “the Ottoman slap” — set the stage for contentious talks when Tillerson visits Ankara later this week.
U.S. officials had sought to soothe Erdogan’s anger by stressing transparency in their support of the Kurds and commitment to Turkey’s security. But the proposed new assistance to the Kurds, outlined Monday in the Trump administration’s budget request, clearly undermined the calming effort.
The White House is asking Congress for $300 million “to train, equip, sustain and enable” vetted Syrian opposition groups to defeat the Islamic State. It wants $250 million for a border security force that would stem the flow of extremist fighters.
“If we are together in NATO, the United States has to abide by NATO rules as much as Turkey,” Erdogan said. “If a terror organization is attacking your ally, as a NATO member you have to stand against this.”
The Turks are riled over Washington’s support for the Syrian Kurdish People’s Protection Units. Turkey considers them a “terrorist” group linked to Kurdish insurgents fighting within Turkey’s own borders.
Tillerson appealed for coalition members not to lose sight of their ultimate goal in Iraq and Syria.
“The end of major combat operations does not mean we have achieved the enduring defeat of ISIS,” he told a meeting in Kuwait City.