US dispute with Turkey: call for Twitter threat

After his threat, US President Trump spoke with his Turkish counterpart Erdogan. In the conversation, the two heads of state also discussed the creation of a security zone in Syria.

Following his threat to Turkey for treating with the Kurds in Syria, US President Donald Trump was on the phone with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan. According to the White House, Trump emphasized that it was important for the United States "that Turkey does not treat the Kurds and other Syrian democratic forces badly".

Erdogan's office, on the other hand, said that Turkey will continue to fight YPG, PKK and IS because they pose a threat to national security. The presidential office said it had discussed the creation of a security zone without militia in northern Syria. The two heads of state had emphasized the need for a plan for the future of the border town of Manbij. They also talked about further cooperation on the background of the withdrawal of US troops from Syria.

Trump threatens "economic destruction"

Over the weekend, Trump threatened Turkey with "economic destruction" via Twitter in the event of an attack on the Kurds in Syria. This, in turn, caused anger and uncertainty in Turkey. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu tried to smooth the waves and called on the United States to seek a solution together. Sometimes the lira had lost value, probably due to the fear of sanctions.

Differences in dealing with the Kurds

The United States wants to use their withdrawal to provide their long-standing allies in Syria with support. The White House has recently declared that the Kurdish militia and the Syrian democratic forces (SDF) have contributed to the victory over the terrorist militia "Islamic State" (IS) in Syria. The Trump government therefore requires security guarantees for the groups.

Turkey sees in the Syrian-Kurdish YPG, however, a terrorist organization and an offshoot of the Kurdish workers' party banned PKK. Ankara announced that it would launch an offensive against the Kurdish forces north of the Civil War.