I’ll obliterate Turk economy, says Donald Trump

Donald Trump threatens to destroy Turkey’s economy if Ankara takes a planned military strike in Syria too far

An American convoy withdraws from US positions along Syria’s border with Turkey. Picture: Hawar News Agency via AP

Donald Trump has launched a harsh attack on NATO ally Turkey, threatening to destroy its economy if Ankara takes a ­planned military strike in Syria too far, even though the US leader himself has opened the door for a Turkish incursion.

The US President said he would “totally destroy and obliterate” Turkey’s economy if it took action in Syria that he considered “off limits” following his decision on Sunday night (Monday AEDT) to pull out US forces from northeastern Syria.

The US withdrawal will leave Kurdish-led forces in Syria who have long been allied with Washington vulnerable to a planned incursion by the Turkish military which brands them terrorists.

Mr Trump’s stern words seemed to be aimed at placating critics who accused him of abandoning the Syrian Kurds by pulling out US forces. “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!)” he tweeted.

Leaders from both parties and both houses of congress joined in the criticism, including Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell, Mr Trump’s fellow Republican.

“A precipitous withdrawal of US forces from Syria would only benefit Russia, Iran, and the Assad regime. And it would increase the risk that ISIS and other terrorist groups regroup,” he said.

Lindsey Graham, a Republican senator close to Mr Trump, called the move “a disaster in the making”.

US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat, called on Mr Trump to “reverse this dangerous decision”, saying it betrayed Kurdish allies, threatened regional security and sent a message to Iran and Russia, as well as US allies, that the US was no longer a trusted partner.

Turkey does not appear “as of now” to have begun its expected incursion into northern Syria, a senior Trump administration official said on Tuesday.

The Turkish Defence Ministry said on Twitter later that preparations for a possible military operation into northeastern Syria had been completed.

A Trump official said 50 US troops in the region that Turkey has targeted would be redeployed elsewhere in Syria “where they aren’t in the crossfire”. The US has about 1000 troops in Syria.

At the White House, Mr Trump offered his rationale for the troop redeployment, saying his ultimate goal was to fulfil a campaign promise to bring troops home. “We’re like a police force over there. We’re not fighting. We’re policing,” he said.

In Ankara, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he planned to visit Washington to meet Mr Trump next month. He said the two leaders would discuss plans for a “safe zone” in Syria, and added that he hoped to resolve a dispute over F-35 fighter jets.

Turkey’s lira slid more than 2 per cent to its lowest level in more than a month against the US dollar on Monday.

Investors have been closely watching tense ties between Ankara and Washington in recent months, with the countries at odds over a range of issues, including Syria and Turkey’s purchase of a Russian missile defence system.

The US began pulling troops back from the northeast Syrian border late on Monday, effectively giving Turkey a green light to move into the area.

France warned that the US ­decision could open the door to a revival of ISIS.

The US expected Turkey to take responsibility for captive ISIS 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 Syrian Democratic Forces facilities south of a safe zone initially proposed by Turkey.

Reuters