Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and National Security Adviser John Bolton
are both infuriating Turkey this weekend with comments on the planned
Turkish invasion of Syrian Kurdistan, with President Erdogan saying it
is “irrational” to claim the invasion is targeting Kurds.
Pompeo said that the US wanted to make sure “the Turks don’t slaughter the Kurds”
after US troops leave, which was a particular source of anger for
Turkish officials. The Foreign Ministry said it was unfair to use the
generic term Kurds, because Turkey intends to slaughter the YPG, whom
they consider terrorists.
Turkey issued a statement Friday vowing to “decisively continue its
struggle against terrorist organizations” in Syria, including the YPG.
Turkey says they consider the YPG to be on par with ISIS.
Bolton also issued a statement while in Israel warning Turkey not to attack America’s “Kurdish allies.” This is more specific, as the US was allied with the YPG, and that is exactly who Turkey has promised to target militarily.
Turkey Slams Pompeo Over Claims of Targeting Kurds
Turkey vows to move 'decisively' against YPG
Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.
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