Ankara must answer U.S. President Donald Trump’s latest threat against Turkey on the battlefield, says a former Turkish general.
Washington is attempting to play for time as it distracts Turkey while it tries to redraw the balance in the region, noted retired general Dr. Fahri Erenel.
“If we only look back on the last 30 days, we can see clearly that while the U.S. stalls Turkey, it is trying to create a new model in the region,” noting that Trump was not able to agree on anything with the “U.S. Deep State.”
In an early Monday tweet, Trump threatened to target Turkey's economy if Ankara hits the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) terror group amid Washington's withdrawal of troops from Syria.
“Turkey must definitely respond to Trump’s statements on the field. Perhaps with a surprise air operation,” Erenel said.
“NATO allies don’t threaten each other on Twitter,” he added.
Following the surprise announcement in December that U.S. forces would leave Syria, U.S. officials said withdrawal was conditional on the U.S. not attacking the "Kurds," meaning the terrorist PKK/YPG.
Turkish officials attacked the U.S. conflation of "Kurds" with the terror group, saying a forthcoming Turkish operation in Syria targets a terrorist group which threatens Arabs, Turkmens, and Kurds alike in Syria.
In its 30-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK has taken some 40,000 lives. The YPG/PYD is its Syrian branch.
