Trump, in his 'great and unmatched wisdom', threatens to 'obliterate' Turkey's economy

President Donald Trump, joined by from left, Defense Secretary Mark Esper, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley, speaks to media during a briefing with senior military leaders in the Cabinet Room at the White House in Washington. Picture: Carolyn Kaster/AP

President Donald Trump, joined by from left, Defense Secretary Mark Esper, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley, speaks to media during a briefing with senior military leaders in the Cabinet Room at the White House in Washington. Picture: Carolyn Kaster/AP

Published Oct 8, 2019

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Istanbul - Turkey said on Tuesday it had

completed preparations for a military operation in northeast

Syria after the United States began pulling back troops, opening

the way for a Turkish attack on Kurdish-led forces long allied

to Washington.

But US President Donald Trump warned he would "obliterate"

the NATO ally's economy if it took action in Syria that he

considered "off limits" following his decision on Sunday to pull

50 American special forces troops from the border region.

The US move will leave its Kurdish-led partner forces in

Syria vulnerable to an incursion by the Turkish Armed Forces

(TSK), which brands them terrorists because of their links to

Kurdish militants who have waged a long insurgency in Turkey.

"The TSK will never tolerate the establishment of a terror

corridor on our borders. All preparations for the operation have

been completed," the Turkish Defence Ministry said on Twitter

early on Tuesday.

"It is essential to establish a safe zone/peace corridor to

contribute to our region's peace and stability, and for Syrians

to achieve a safe life," it said.

Turkey does not appear "as of now" to have begun its

expected incursion into northern Syria, a senior Trump

administration official said on Monday.

A Reuters witness said there was no sign of military

activity on Tuesday near the Turkish border town of Akcakale,

across from Syria's Tel Abyad. Howitzers were positioned behind

earth embankments on the Turkish side of the border, pointed

towards Syria.

US forces evacuated two observation posts at Tel Abyad and

Ras al Ain on Monday, a U.S. official said.

Trump's warning on Turkey's economy appeared aimed at

placating critics who accused him of abandoning the Syrian Kurds

by pulling out U.S. forces. The decision drew criticism from

Democrats and a rebuke from some of Trump's fellow Republicans

in Congress, including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.

"As I have stated strongly before, and just to reiterate, if

Turkey does anything that I, in my great and unmatched wisdom,

consider to be off limits, I will totally destroy and obliterate

the Economy of Turkey (I've done before!)" Trump tweeted.

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 7, 2019

"RED FLAG"

His remarks met an angry response in Turkey, including from

opposition party politicians such as Iyi Party leader Meral

Aksener who said it was a day to put aside domestic politics.

"Threatening Turkey's economy is a diplomatic catastrophe,"

she told her party's lawmakers in a speech in parliament. "Today

there is only one party and that is our red (Turkish) flag."

"The best response to this insolence is to go into the east

of the Euphrates and break the terror corridor," she added.

The Kurdish-led forces, who have been Washington's most

capable partners in fighting Islamic State in Syria, have

denounced the major shift in US policy as "stab in the back".

Mustafa Bali, an official with the Kurdish-led Syrian

Democratic Forces (SDF) said the continued Turkish military

buildup on the border, together with information about further

mobilisation of Turkey-backed Syrian rebels, indicated that "an

attack is imminent and we expect it soon".

"Naturally our preparations are along the length of the

border with Turkey and our forces are in a state of readiness,"

Bali told Reuters.

The United States expects Turkey to take responsibility for

captive Islamic State fighters in northeastern Syria if Ankara's

planned incursion seizes areas where the detained militants are

held, a senior State Department official said.

The captives are held in SDF facilities south of a safe zone

initially proposed by Turkey.

Turkish forces artillery pieces are seen on their new positions near the border with Syria in Sanliurfa province, Turkey, on Sunday. Picture: DHA via AP

Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman Hami Aksoy said overnight

it was Turkey's fundamental right to take necessary measures for

its national security against terrorism threats from Syria.

"Turkey is determined to clear terrorists from the east of

the Euphrates and protect its own security and survival while

implementing a secure zone in order to achieve peace and

stability," Aksoy said in a written statement.

Iran, President Bashar al-Assad's main regional ally, said

it opposed any Turkish military operation in Syria.

President Tayyip Erdogan has said Turkey plans to resettle

two million refugees in northern Syria and Turkish media has

said the draft resettlement plan involves a 151 billion lira

($26 billion) construction project. Turkey hosts 3.6 million

Syrian refugees.

The Trump administration official, briefing reporters on a

conference call, said 50 U.S. troops in the region that Turkey

has targeted would be redeployed elsewhere in Syria "where they

aren't in the crossfire." The United States has about 1,000

troops in Syria.

Turkey's lira lost 2% of its value against the

dollar to hit its weakest level since early September but edged

off its lows to 5.8195 on Tuesday. Turkey's sovereign dollar

bonds also came under fresh pressure.

Ties between Ankara and Washington have long been tense over

a range of issues including Syria policy and Turkey's purchase

of a Russian missile defence system. 

Reuters

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