Posted on 05/12/2017 5:28:10 AM PDT by huldah1776
ERBIL, Kurdistan24 (Kurdistan24) - An upcoming White House meeting between US President Donald Trump and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan will prove to be a 'breaking point,' said the latter on Friday.
Erdogan's comments come as the relationship between his country and the US became strained as heavy American weapons began to flow to Kurdish forces battling the Islamic State (IS) in Syria.
Addressing a press conference in Ankara ahead of his flight to China, Erdogan said he wanted to see all the information related to Trump's authorization for the Pentagon to provide arms to the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG), saying that until then, they remain "rumors."
Erdogan rationalized his approach by pointing out that the US "was still in a transition period," putting the blame on former President Barack Obama's policies vis-a-vis the Syrian Kurds, according to Kurdistan24's Ankara Bureau.
Trump's approval of the Pentagon's plan to ship heavy arms and armored vehicles to the YPG came as Erdogan's top three men, including his Army Chief of Staff Hulusi Akar, Head of the National Intelligence Organization (MIT) Hakan Fidan and Spokesperson Ibrahim Kalin were in DC to dissuade Americans from doing so.
YPG's designation as a "terrorist group" by Turkey complicates relations with the US, whose officials view the Syrian Kurdish US-ally in the war on IS as an extension of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).
PKK, which both NATO allies consider a terrorist group, has been waging a decades-long guerrilla warfare against Turkish troops for greater Kurdish rights.
"These developments contravene our strategic agreements with the US," said Erdogan who reiterated his threat that Turkey could attack the YPG "suddenly, one night."
Erdogan claimed his country, and not the YPG, was the one leading "the most effective fight" against IS.
Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu argued on Wednesday that every weapon given to the YPG was a "threat to Turkey," a charge the Kurdish commander Nesrin Abdullah rejected Thursday in an interview with Kurdistan24.
Last April, Turkey conducted airstrikes despite US objections on YPG positions near the town of Derik in northeast Syria, where at least 20 Kurdish fighters were killed.
Airstrikes which also targeted PKK affiliates and the Kurdistan Region's Peshmerga forces in Sinjar in neighboring Iraq led to the US stationing American troops' to patrol the Turkey-Syria border in an attempt to de-escalate the situation.
Images of US soldiers alongside Kurdish fighters "saddened" Erdogan as his chief advisor Ilnur Cevik threatened that the Americans could also "accidentally" be the target of Turkish rockets.
In a Friday column in the pro-government Yeni Birlik newspaper, Cevik who has since corrected his remarks suggested the US should "be thankful to Erdogan for his goodwill and patience."
"Those testing our President's patience always end up losers. This applies to the US as well."
Please note: K24 is owned by Barzani.
:: it was reported that the Kurds will have a referendum on their independence ::
Yes. That’s exactly what the founding fathers of the USA did...they took a poll and found out HUMAN LIBERTY was a concept accepted by the majority of colonials.
And remember, Turkey screwed us royally during the Gulf War. Erdogen is busy turning Turkey BACK into a Muslim State.
Yesterday, while Mattis was talking to Turkey's PM Yildirim and saying there are no worries, Erdogan tested a long-range missile.
"Turkey test-fires own long-range missile for the first time"
Info on Kurd independent state
"Israel To US: Kurdish Independence Is A 'Foregone Conclusion'" [2014]
So, while reading I wanted to know about the Kurds. We have all heard about their female military units. However, it seems a woman can take up arms and fight but still not walk down the street alone without being harassed or talk to a man in public. For example, one guy beheaded his mom when he saw her talking to a man on the street.
"Women’s rights are human rights, Iraqi Kurdistan"
so instead of telling me who barzani is I have to do some more research. I didn’t want to use breitbart cause the headline was too exaggerated. Erdogan has not canceled his visit with Trump.
“Erdogan: Turkey’s ‘Patience Has Ended’ with U.S. Support for Syrian Kurds”
http://www.breitbart.com/national-security/2017/05/11/turkey-threatens-attack-syrian-kurds/
Trump will listen to Netanyahu on this one, I think. If the Kurds become an independent nation and acknowledge Israel, that would be awesome but the Kurds are turning to Russia for their referendum. No other choice? Or bad choice?
Kurds are not head choppers. Israeli’s know they are reliable (most of them). The Jews among the Kurds have migrated to Israel.
You might want to read this, it explains some of the divides between Iraq and Syrian Kurds. Same people, but different views concerning tribalism, secularism and community government. I don’t think either has a good plan for central government. Local? One is better than the other.
http://ekurd.net/kurdish-media-truth-lies-kurdistan24-2016-05-21
Oh, and in Iraq, there are a couple of tribal leaders. Both from historically brave families. Barzani and Talibani. Talibani has much better relationship with Syrian Kurds. But he is old.
Thank you for having me look up Barzani. I’ll have to bookmark K24. Wouldn’t it be great if Trump could have his own tv station? LOL At least he has twitter. I wonder if the owners are kicking themselves.
The first people I think about are the ones in the middle, at the Syria/Turk border, with the words “Go ahead. Make my day,” written all over them. How can our LCpls stop a missile?
Note to slimy turks....our prez packs....
Thank you for posting this. This is an incredibly important time to expose the truth. On the 16th Erdogan the Islamist meets with Donald Trump. I’m sure “the Dog’s” demands will be mind boggling. He is insane. But, he is and Islamist. That explains it.
It is no accident that Barzani’s son is going to be in DC on the same day. There has been no announcement that he will meet with Trump, but he is going to testify supporting Erdogan and against the Syrian Kurds. This is about oil money and corruption. Corruption in the Middle East? Imagine?
The Kurds know they must have someone larger to protect them. If it is Russia, US or Coalition it must happen. Kurds as a nation will not survive without it. They are good people (not all alike) and they deserver better. We need such allies.
Turkey is not an ally. Erdogan’s Turkey is totally incompatible with NATO’s founding principals.
NATO should boot Erdogan out of NATO while letting the people of Turkey know that when they have a government and leaders who earn the right to be part of NATO they will be allowed back in.
Turkey and Erdogan are NOT our friend.
The Kurds however wish to be.
How about the US getting out of there and letting the Muslims kill each other? This is not our fight. The threat to the US is right here; Islam in our country. Until we have the sense to ban Islam, there will always be a terror threat.
I’ll say it again... bring US troops home & put them on our borders, ban Islam, close mosques, deport Muslims, institute a “pet the pig” requirement to board a plane or enter a non-Muslim country, and then let these savages have their wars in their own rotten countries.
the pet the pig idea is hilarious, but the Jews still obeying the Old Testament can’t come either.
Hmm, I thought they just couldn’t eat pork. I didn’t know they couldn’t touch a pig. You sure?
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