Posted on 01/24/2018 7:23:24 AM PST by Texas Fossil
THE TURKISH THICKET: President Trump will wade into the latest point of tension between the U.S. and NATO ally Turkey, as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan continues to press ahead with his attacks against Kurdish fighters in the north of Syria, who are among America’s chief allies in the fight against the Islamic State. Trump is scheduled to speak by phone with Erdogan today in an effort to persuade one U.S. ally to stop attacking another. “We want them to de-escalate. I think you can expect that to be part of the conversation,” said White House press secretary Sarah Sanders, who promised a readout of the call later today.
Turkey says its offensive, which began Saturday, has killed 260 Kurdish and ISIS fighters in the Afrin region, and says the military operation is necessary to create a buffer zone to secure its southern border with Syria. Erdogan has been infuriated over the U.S. support of the Kurdish militia, in particular the YPG, which Turkey considers a wing of a terrorist group. Turkey also accuses the U.S. of breaking several promises, including to stop supporting the Kurdish forces, once ISIS was defeated. He also said the U.S. is failing to take back weapons that are now being used against Turkey
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonexaminer.com ...
It has long been clear that Turkey under Erdogan is NOT an ally, either to NATO or to the U.S.A.
The numbers Turkey uses in describing the casualties in Syria are not based in reality. Large numbers of civilians are killed and injured. Turk losses, mostly FSA militia, have been significant. I've read there are 8 of the Turkish military dead. Many injured, largely FSA.
Are these Kurd groups legit, or are they working some other agenda?
Legit. At least the ones I know. Some for 3-1/2 years.
They have some baggage, but they have been responsible for the killing of ISIS in Syria. Lot of people benefited, but they sure get treated badly by what I consider the bad guys.
There are not many “good guys” in the Region.
“They have some baggage, but they have been responsible for the killing of ISIS in Syria. Lot of people benefited, but they sure get treated badly by what I consider the bad guys.”
So they’re not a bunch of would-be Fidel Castros?
In the PKK, that element exists. In some of the foreign fighters are Lefties. It is a fact.
The leadership and all I’ve come to know are certainly not and are good people. And sick of war.
Now they have communal farming operations. That is how they have been able to feed so many displaced persons without outside help until Raqqa. Little outside humanitarian aid was available to Syria, because the SDF freeing the Northern Part of Syria were not a national government. UN would not touch them and there was a problem with access except by air. I worked with my Congressman from February this year trying to overcome that problem. There was some help, a lot from the USAID.
The Kurd structure at this point is a lot like Israel in the beginning with the Israeli Kibbutz. There were European groups that helped with this. The Kurds have long been persecuted and are pretty self sufficient. Amazing today.
I’m not sugar coating this. They are very good people and good neighbors. Israel has already said they would recognize the Kurds. Note: there are Kurdish Jews. Most of them immigrated to Israel quite a while ago.
There are a significant and growing community of Christians in the region. Including in Northern Syria.
They should be kicked out of NATO.
I agree. And I’m not sure it is salvageable if Erdogan was gone.
Good news! I hope Trump leads from the heart on this. The Kurds deserve our support and we need to stand up against the Islamist tyrants. Erdogan has destroyed almost all of Atatürk‘s progress. Erdogan’s presence in NATO makes a mockery of the entire alliance.
I tend to sympathize with the Kurds, in part because the Turks are their enemies. The English translation of one of the Kurdish groups, however, sounded suspiciously “revolutionary.” Glad to hear that it’s not as bad as I feared.
Yes
I would support an independ Kurdistan (yes, I know there a Kurdistan province but they are not self ruled) before supporting an independent Palestine. Plus the fact that NO ONE in the Arab world will give up territory for a Palestian, plus the Palestinian leadership would have to stop milking the foreign aid cow to fill their Swiss bank accounts.
Agree
It is time to carve up Turkey like it was Thanksgiving.
Erdogan’s penis-envy palace should be brought down on his little, bald, head.
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