Trouble with Turkey: Erdogan refused to meet Bolton

Turkish president calls off planned meeting with Trump’s National Security Adviser after Bolton called on Turkey to avoid harming Kurds in Syria.

By: World Israel News Staff

Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan called off a planned meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump’s National Security Adviser, John Bolton, after Bolton called on Turkey to avoid harming Kurds in Syria.

The American request was presented in writing to the Turks. It called for Turkey to involve the U.S.-backed Kurdish militia – the YPG – in the decision-making process regarding northern Syria.

In a theatrical gesture, Erdogan tore up the American document in the course of a speech in Turkey’s Parliament Tuesday.

“Turkey has almost completed all of the necessary preparations for defeating the remainder of ISIS’s forces in Syria, and following the planned American withdrawal, we will take action to neutralize all of the terror threats,” he announced.

Turkey sees Kurdish militias in Syria as terror groups that are involved in destabilizing eastern Turkey.

Hinting at the Syrian Kurds, Erdogan said: “Soon, we will eliminate all of the terror elements in Syria. If any group tries to interfere with our mission in Syria, we are duty bound to destroy it as well.”