Trump hopes to mediate between Turkey and Kurds

US President Donald Trump has put three options on the table for US action following heavy criticism and worldwide condemnation of Turkey’s military offensive in Syria.

According to a presidential tweet, Trump hinted at a possible military intervention, while previously he had put Turkey on notice by referring to severe economic sanctions.

“We have one of three choices: Send in thousands of troops and win Militarily, hit Turkey very hard Financially and with Sanctions, or mediate a deal between Turkey and the Kurds!” Trump wrote on Twitter.

“I hope we can mediate,” Trump told reporters at the White House.

“Turkey knows where I stand,” he said, adding that he did not think Americans wanted to see the US military sent back into the region.

The Turkish military incursion into Syria came after US President Donald Trump had decided to keep a pre-election promise and pull out American troops, who were embedded in the region in support of Kurdish militia fighting ISIS terrorists.

A number of foreign political figures but also prominent politicians in the US have criticized Trump for his decision, arguing that the Kurds had been allies against Islamic terrorism and that America was failing the Kurdish people.

Turkey launched the assault saying Kurdish militia groups had been dominating US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, prompting Ankara to describe them as terrorists and a threat along Turkey’s border region with Syria.

Knews understands that US troops had pulled back from the border but were still embedded in locations with the SDF in other parts of Syria. US troops were still maintaining contact but had suspended counter-ISIS operations according to foreign correspondents.

Anastasiades calls Turkish offensive "unjustified"

President Nicos Anastasiades said the military campaign, dubbed by the Turks as 'Operation Peace Spring', was “just another unlawful act, an arbitrary step towards serving Turkish interests.”

"This is just another unacceptable and arbitrary act by Turkey, which is condemned at least by our family, the EU, and I do not believe it is justified in any way,” Anastasiades told the Cyprus News Agency.

Earlier this week, officials in the EU called on Turkey to halt its military operation against Kurdish militants, telling Ankara the bloc was not interested in paying the bills to run a “safe zone” in the area.

Under a 2016 EU-Turkey agreement, Ankara had made a commitment to discourage migrants from reaching European soil through Greece, by pledging money to set up camps.

So far both the United States and Russia have refused to approve a European-sponsored resolution at the United Nations Security Council condemning Turkey’s action in Syria. 

....We have one of three choices: Send in thousands of troops and win Militarily, hit Turkey very hard Financially and with Sanctions, or mediate a deal between Turkey and the Kurds!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 10, 2019