US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that the United States has not abandoned the Kurds in Syria and continues to provide them financial aid and armaments
WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 08th October, 2019) US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that the United States has not abandoned the Kurds in Syria and continues to provide them financial aid and armaments.
"We may be in the process of leaving Syria, but in no way have we abandoned the Kurds, who are special people and wonderful fighters," Trump said via Twitter. "We are helping the Kurds financially/weapons!"
Trump also said US relations with Turkey - a NATO ally and trading partner - have been very good, but the economic consequences to Ankara will be tremendous if it engages in any needless fighting with the Kurds in northeastern Syria.
"Turkey already has a large Kurdish population and fully understands that while we only had 50 soldiers remaining in that section of Syria, and they have been removed, any unforced or unnecessary fighting by Turkey will be devastating to their economy and to their very fragile Currency," Trump said.
Turkey views Kurdish fighters in Syria to be an extension of the Kurdistan Worker's Party, which Ankara considers a terrorist organization.
Kurdish fighters are the dominant group inside the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and have been considered to be the most effective ground force in fighting the Islamic State terror group (outlawed in Russia).
Trump's decision to withdraw US ground troops deployed with the Kurds in northern Syria sparked fierce opposition in Congress, prompting Senator Lindsey Graham to begin rounding up votes to impose economic sanctions on Turkey and suspend Turkey from NATO should Ankara attacks the Kurds there.
