https://www.theguardian.com/world/20...kurdish-alliesUS to let Turkish forces move into Syria, abandoning Kurdish allies
White House reveals sudden shift in policy, which follows conversation between Donald Trump and Recep Tayyip Erdoğan
The White House has given the green light to a Turkish offensive into northern Syria, moving US forces out of the area in an abrupt foreign policy change that will in effect abandon Washington’s long-time allies, the
Kurds.
Kurdish forces have spearheaded the campaign against Isis in the region, but the policy swerve, following a phone conversation between Donald Trump and
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Sunday, means Turkey would take custody of captured Isis fighters, the White House said. It represents the latest in a series of
erratic moves by Trump, fighting impeachment at home, apparently taken without consultation with, or knowledge of, US diplomats dealing with Syria.
Ruben Gallego, an Iraq war veteran and Democratic congressman from Arizona, said on Twitter: “Allowing
Turkey to move into northern Syria is one of the most destabilizing moves we can do in the Middle East. The Kurds will never trust America again. They will look for new alliances or independence to protect themselves.”......
Two weeks ago, at the UN general assembly, the US special envoy for the global coalition to defeat Isis, Jim Jeffrey, stressed that the US had an agreement with Turkey on a safe zone, in recognition of Ankara’s security concerns, that obviated the need for an Turkish incursion.
“We listen to the Turks’ concerns. We try to respond to them when we can,” Jeffrey said. “And we have made it clear to Turkey at every level that any unilateral operation is not going to lead to an improvement in anyone’s security – not Turkey’s, not the people in the north-east, not the people around the world who feel threatened by Daesh [Isis], which is the basic purpose for our US military being in the north-east in the first place.”