After a telephone conversation with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, US President Donald Trump had decided on Sunday to withdraw his troops from northern Syria and not to protect the allied Kurdish militias there. Now Turkish troops have moved into the area - to the annoyance of the US commander in chief. "The United States does not endorse this attack and has made it clear to Turkey that this operation is a bad idea," Trump said in a statement.
The President again defended his decision to withdraw US troops from the Syrian border area to Turkey. He has always made it clear "that I do not want to fight these endless, pointless wars - especially those that do not benefit the United States." (Read a comment on the operation in northern Syria here.)
Video: Turkey offensive threatens security in Europe
Trump said that the government in Ankara has pledged to protect civilians and religious minorities and ensure there is no humanitarian crisis. Turkey is expected to stick to these commitments. Turkey is now also responsible for keeping the fighters of the so-called "Islamic State" (IS), held captive in northern Syria, in captivity. Turkey also needs to ensure that IS does not reform.
Critics accused Trump of abandoning the Kurdish militias who were allies of the US forces in the fight against the IS. Trump evidently seized upon this and on Monday informed Ankara as a precautionary measure: "If Turkey does anything that I consider taboo in my magnificent and incomparable wisdom, I will completely destroy and annihilate the Turkish economy," Trump tweeted - without a clear sign do what he would consider a violation.
As I have read, I am very happy to be back, if I do not like it, I want to learn more about it. , They must, with Europe and others, watch over ...
- Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) 7 October 2019Whether this "taboo" is now reached is therefore unclear. Senators in the US Congress are now preparing a bipartisan resolution for sanctions against Turkey. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham wrote on Twitter that he would cite Congressional efforts to make Erdogan "pay a high price".
Trump is not alone in his criticism of the military offensive. EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker called on Turkey to stop the military operation against Kurdish militias in northern Syria. Federal Foreign Minister Heiko Maas condemned the Turkish offensive "in the strongest terms": "Turkey accepts to further destabilize the region and risked a resurgence of the IS," he said in Berlin. It threatens another humanitarian disaster and a new escape movement.
The UN Security Council is scheduled to address the issue at a special session on Thursday. This was reported by diplomats in New York. Germany and France had requested the emergency meeting together with Poland, Belgium and the United Kingdom.