Trump just released a couple of tweets on Turkey’s attack on the Kurds, suggesting the US mediaite a deal between Erdogan and the Kurds in Syria:
We defeated 100% of the ISIS Caliphate and no longer have any troops in the area under attack by Turkey, in Syria. We did our job perfectly! Now Turkey is attacking the Kurds, who have been fighting each other for 200 years….
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 10, 2019
….We have one of three choices: Send in thousands of troops and win Militarily, hit Turkey very hard Financially and with Sanctions, or mediate a deal between Turkey and the Kurds!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 10, 2019
When Trump says they’ve been fighting each other for 200 years, it’s as if he’s excusing what’s going on as an old rivalry or something and he’s completely pulled himself out of it. But they were our allies, helping us keep our soldiers safe by putting their boots on the ground, so to speak, to defeat ISIS. He had to know Erdogan would start attacking them, so why did he leave and allow Turkey begin a war against them? That’s the question.
Trump then suggests we have one of three options. It’s clear he doesn’t want to do #1 – endless wars and all. #2 is the one he’s been threatening Turkey with if they attack the Kurds. And now it seems he wants to do #3 and negotiate some sort of peace between them. I’m guessing Trump thinks #2 will bring them to the table and then he can commence with #3.
In related news, Erdogan is once again threatening to flood Europe with millions of refugees unless they approve of his current military campaigns in Syria:
DC EXAMINER – Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan warned Thursday he would flood Europe with millions of Syrian refugees if European countries condemn the invasion of northern Syria.
“We will open the gates and send 3.6 million refugees your way,” Erdoğan said in a speech to members of his Justice and Development political party.
Turkey, which borders Syria to the north, “Hosts the largest number of refugees worldwide,” according to the United Nations. Millions of refugees passed through Turkey’s northwest border with Greece and Bulgaria on their way into Europe, creating political turmoil in several countries. In recent weeks, Turkey has forced thousands out of major cities, according to a report by the New York Times.
In September, Erdoğan threatened to “open the gates” to allow Syrian refugees into Europe unless a “safe zone” was established along Turkey’s border with Syria.
Yep, this is turning out fabulous.