Erdogan, Trump discuss Syria 'safe zone' in phone call; to meet next month - Ankara

 

FILE PHOTO - U.S. President Donald Trump and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan speak at the start of the NATO summit in Brussels, Belgium July 11, 2018. REUTERS/Reinhard Krause

 

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan and U.S. President Donald Trump discussed the planned "safe zone" east of the Euphrates River in Syria in a phone call on Sunday, the Turkish presidency said, adding the two men agreed to meet in Washington next month.

 

The call came a day after Erdogan said a military incursion into northeastern Syria was imminent, after Ankara accused Washington of stalling efforts to establish a "safe zone" there together.

 

During the phone call, Erdogan expressed his frustration with the failure of U.S. military and security officials to implement the agreement between the two countries, the presidency said.

 

Erdogan also reiterated the necessity of the safe zone to eliminate the threats from the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia, which Ankara considers a terrorist organisation, and to create the conditions necessary for the return of Syrian refugees, it said.

 

The agreement to meet in Washington next month was taken on Trump's invitation, the presidency said.

 

The White House declined comment.

 

The NATO allies agreed in August to establish a zone in northeast Syria along the border with Turkey. Ankara says the zone should be cleared of the YPG.

 

Turkey says it wants to settle up to 2 million Syrian refugees in the zone. It currently hosts 3.6 million Syrians sheltering from Syria's more than eight-year conflict.

 

Turkey says the United States, which supports the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a YPG-led force that defeated Islamic State fighters in Syria, is moving too slowly to set up the zone. It has repeatedly warned of launching an offensive on its own into northeast Syria, where U.S. forces are stationed alongside the SDF.

 

The two countries are also at odds over how far the zone should extend into Syria and who should control it. Turkey says it should be 30 km (19 miles) deep.

 

The ties between the allies have also been pressured over Turkey's purchase of Russian S-400 defence missiles and the trial of local U.S. consulate employees in Turkey.

 

(Reporting by Can Sezer; Writing by Ali Kucukgocmen; Editing by Alison Williams and Peter Cooney)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-10-07

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Doesn't this meeting hinge on whether or not he's still in office? Word on the street is he's become UNhinged.

Illegal land theft. What exactly is the point of the UN?

Doesn't this meeting hinge on whether or not he's still in office? Word on the street is he's become UNhinged.

It's only a month from now.

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8 hours ago, webfact said:

Erdogan also reiterated the necessity of the safe zone to eliminate the threats from the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia, which Ankara considers a terrorist organisation, and to create the conditions necessary for the return of Syrian refugees, it said.

There wouldn't be much of the Kurd YPG after Trump agreed to withdraw US troops and allow Ankara to launch their military campaign; something Ankara is itching to do for years. Trump sold out the Kurds. Probably timely diversion from his impeachment woes.  

Sadly for the Kurds they were not smart enough to have put Hunter Biden on the board of directors of any of their gas or oil companies... 

 

#INeedYouToDoMeAFavor 

Just now, sfokevin said:

Sadly for the Kurds they were not smart enough to have put Hunter Biden on the board of directors of any of their gas or oil companies... 

 

#INeedYouToDoMeAFavor 

You think maybe Trump believes Biden is a board of theirs? That could explain his abandonment of them.

44 minutes ago, bristolboy said:

You think maybe Trump believes Biden is a board of theirs? That could explain his abandonment of them.

I meant that the Kurds (Who were our allies in the Iraq & Syrian conflicts) have no dirt on Trumps adversaries to trade for their lives...

US military is withdrawing already, the Kurds are left alone again.

What will happen to the 1,000 s of IS fighters is anybody's guess.

 

Really bad development.

Why should any ally trust the U.S. to keep it's promises after moves like this? This is sad and embarrassing for all Americans that aren't 5th Avenue 45 loyalists. MAGA? Hardly. From American exceptionalism to American isolationism. Putin is happy!

Edited October 7, 20196 yr by Jingthing

1 hour ago, Jingthing said:

Why should any ally trust the U.S. to keep it's promises after moves like this? This is sad and embarrassing for all Americans that aren't 5th Avenue 45 loyalists. MAGA? Hardly. From American exceptionalism to American isolationism. Putin is happy!

It should be why any ally can trust Trump. This is all his impulsive decision which blindsided and shocked the Pentagon. His idiosyncratic excuse is that “it cost too much money and the affected countries should fight and pay for their own wars” paraphrasing. 

39 minutes ago, Eric Loh said:

It should be why any ally can trust Trump. This is all his impulsive decision which blindsided and shocked the Pentagon. His idiosyncratic excuse is that “it cost too much money and the affected countries should fight and pay for their own wars” paraphrasing. 

But the American people supposedly "elected" 45 so to the world the actions of 45 are the actions of the USA.

Edited October 7, 20196 yr by Jingthing

I really dislike Steve Bannon. But he had a valid point when he said Erdogan was the most dangerous person in the world. He is, if not the most, one of the most dangerous leaders in the world. Not only is he theocratic but he is also brutal. He manages to bully, threaten, manipulate or deceive other leaders into doing or accepting various stuff. This has been shown by many examples, especially in recent years.

 

2023 (next Presidential elections in Turkey) is still a long time away. Imagine all the nasty stuff (both inside and outside Turkey) he will have  done by then. And, anyway, there is no guarantee that he will lose the 2023 election. In fact, my sad guess is that he will win that election again (possibly via cheating and via a small margin).

 

The Kurds of Syria are now in grave danger. Trump's role is also major. He has basically sold the Kurds (unless he changes his mind again, which by now, sadly looks unlikely).

Donald J. Trump

 

✔ @realDonaldTrump

 · 46m

 

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!). They must, with Europe and others, watch over...

Donald J. Trump

 

✔ @realDonaldTrump

 

....the captured ISIS fighters and families. The U.S. has done far more than anyone could have ever expected, including the capture of 100% of the ISIS Caliphate. It is time now for others in the region, some of great wealth, to protect their own territory. THE USA IS GREAT!

 

17.7K

5:38 PM - Oct 7, 2019

Twitter Ads info and privacy

 

8,894 people are talking about this

 

Edited October 7, 20196 yr by Opl

The epic long term damage that one 'stable genius' possessing ‘great and unmatched wisdom’ can do.

 

There is almost no domestic base for throwing the Kurds under the bus and giving Isis new life. Why is he doing this? It makes no sense at all. The winners here -- Erdogan, Iran, Putin, Assad. The losers -- besides the Kurds any shed of honor and credibility that U.S. foreign policy may have had left.

 

Quote

 

The Daily 202: Trump abandoning Kurdish partners in Syria sends a chilling message to every other American ally

 

THE BIG IDEA: President Trump’s erratic foreign policy gives allies good reason to doubt America will follow through on its security commitments or protect friends in their hour of need.

U.S. troops are pulling out of Syria today, clearing the way for a Turkish attack on Kurdish forces who have been steadfast partners in the fight against the Islamic State. This withdrawal, which the Kurds are calling a betrayal, began just hours after Trump spoke by phone on Sunday with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

 

 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/paloma/daily-202/2019/10/07/daily-202-trump-abandoning-kurdish-partners-in-syria-sends-a-chilling-message-to-every-other-american-ally/

Europe can now brace itself for the inevitable refugee crisis that will follow.

Donald trumpyou are a disgrace and a Pathetic excuse for a human beeing with all the breaks you have been given in life the wealth the perks ect ect and this unamerican way to treat comrades in arms it’s disgusting and cowardly

Maybe meet at Trump Tower in Istanbul?

 

 

Kurds Have Been Preparing for Trump’s Syria Betrayal—With a Vengeance

"The Turks wanted to control the entire border region in Syria and even into Iraq as far as Mosul, according to Abu Mansour, but they wanted to do it through a proxy force. “So, they wanted to find organizations that would do this favor for them, including terminating the presence of the Kurdish Workers Party [the PKK], without a direct interference from Turkey. At the same time, especially since they were part of NATO, they don’t want to anger NATO, because they need NATO.”

did the ultimate defeat of ISIS in fact deprive the Turks of the proxy buffer zone they wanted—which they are now invading Syria to establish?

3 hours ago, Chomper Higgot said:

Europe can now brace itself for the inevitable refugee crisis that will follow.

Turkish diaspora in Europe supports Erdogan. It's an growing issue. 

But we should welcome Kurds and Yazidis asylum seekers in good conditions. Therefore, scrutinize fake asylum seekers / illegal economic migrants from S.E Asia, countries in "stan" , Africa, Eastern Europe with more efficiency..and have the one denied deported, But we all know it does not work.   

Trumps latest tweets indicate that he has completely lost it. Impeachment not required, surely the men in white coats must be coming for this nutter.

37 minutes ago, Thailand said:

Trumps latest tweets indicate that he has completely lost it. Impeachment not required, surely the men in white coats must be coming for this nutter.

No doubt, Now he's ordering impeachments of elected officials that aren't even possibly subject to impeachment. Does he even know basic stuff about how the American government works? I went to pretty good schools I'll admit, but I'm sure most of my classmates at age 12 knew that you can't impeach a congressman. 

 

Of course, that's just the tip of the iceberg. One could fill many thick volumes with similar examples.

 

https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/taibbi-trump-2020-be-very-afraid-872299/

 

Quote

 

Trump 2020: Be Very Afraid

America is the first country to ever elect a Mad King, and the way things are going, we may be dumb enough to do it twice

 

 

Edited October 8, 20196 yr by Jingthing

Clearly the Iraqi Kurds wouldn’t let him have a trump hotel built there so this is the result.

 

More seriously, throwing long time allies under a bus. Totally something Donnie would do. 

 

Nice Happy birthday pressie for Vlad. 

1 minute ago, samran said:

Clearly the Iraqi Kurds wouldn’t let him have a trump hotel built there so this is the result.

 

More seriously, throwing long time allies under a bus. Totally something Donnie would do. 

 

Nice Happy birthday pressie for Vlad. 

Yes, this is both horrible and quite predictable. Is there anything he can do that really shocks people anymore? 

16 hours ago, Opl said:

Donald J. Trump

 

✔ @realDonaldTrump

 · 46m

 

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!). They must, with Europe and others, watch over...

Donald J. Trump

 

✔ @realDonaldTrump

 

....the captured ISIS fighters and families. The U.S. has done far more than anyone could have ever expected, including the capture of 100% of the ISIS Caliphate. It is time now for others in the region, some of great wealth, to protect their own territory. THE USA IS GREAT!

 

17.7K

5:38 PM - Oct 7, 2019

Twitter Ads info and privacy

 

8,894 people are talking about this

 

I could not drink so much, that I would ever talk this much BS!

Two Luegermeisters at work!

I pity the Kurds- it is now open season!

Erdogan will put safety- zones in place?

Yeah ...right!

 

Turkey's airattack on the Kurds has started.

Trump doesn't care about the Kurds, women, children you, me  or any innocent people, the only thing that he cares about is himself.  He said it all during one of his now famous white house rants in front of  another world leader,  "it was a campaign promise". The campaign premisses that he has accomplished:  Pull out of TPP, he did that and now we are in a trade war;  pull out of the Iran nuclear deal, he did that has threatened another war in the middle east; pull out of NAFTA, he did that and  we still don't have a signed trade agreement with Mexico and Canada;  Pull out of Syria, he's doing that and has given Turkey the red light to obliterate our allies the Kurds and has created a path for ISIS coming back;  reverse any of O'Bama's deals, he's doing that every chance he gets, especially environmental controls  and deals; and on and on!

https://www.msnbc.com/ali-velshi/watch/nbc-reporting-reveals-the-extent-of-trump-s-business-holdings-in-turkey-70944837554