PRESIDENT Trump warned Turkey of “big trouble” if they injure US troops in Syria, during a press conference at the White House in Washington DC on Monday.
His warning came during the wake of a decision to pull troops out of parts of Nothern Syria, ahead of a planned Turkish military operation to create a ‘safe zone’.
Trump added that “if Turkey does anything out of what they should be doing we will hit them so hard on the economy.” He justified the US withdrawal from northern Syria by not wanting the “50 soldiers in the area” to be “in a bad or compromising position.”
The US president hinted that countries such as Iran, Iraq, Turkey and Syria should deal with IS [formerly ISIS/ISIL]. “Let them take care of it,” he said. Trump also said he is fulfilling a campaign promise to bring the troops “back home.”
The withdrawal of the US forces comes ahead of a planned Turkish military operation to create a ‘safe zone’ in Northern Syria. According to the White House, Turkey will ‘soon’ begin the operation.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan confirmed the White House statement at a news conference on Monday, stating that the official withdrawal of US troops had begun.
Additional Reporting by Ruptly