US President Donald Trump has warned, “I will totally destroy and obliterate the Economy of Turkey,” if Ankara doesn’t watch over captured Islamic State fighters detained in Syria, following his decision to pull US forces out of the region.
Turkish warplanes have reportedly begun bombing Kurdish positions in Syria after Donald Trump pulled US support out of the region.
The White House said on Sunday Ankara will soon move forward with its long-planned military operation to create what it calls a “safe zone” in northern Syria.
Local media announced bombings started late on Monday, with Turkish Air Force jets targeting the Semelka Border Crossing at the Iraq border in northeast Syria.
It came hours after Donald Trump threatened to “totally destroy and obliterate” Turkey’s economy if it doesn’t watch over captured ISIS fighters.
As I have stated strongly before, and just to reiterate, if Turkey does anything that I, in my great and unmatched wisdom, consider to be off limits, I will totally destroy and obliterate the Economy of Turkey (I’ve done before!). They must, with Europe and others, watch over...
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 7, 2019
On his social media pages on Monday, the US President wrote:
“As I have stated strongly before, and just to reiterate, if Turkey does anything that I, in my great and unmatched wisdom, consider to be off limits, I will totally destroy and obliterate the Economy of Turkey (I’ve done before!). They must, with Europe and others, watch over the captured ISIS fighters and families. The U.S. has done far more than anyone could have ever expected, including the capture of 100% of the ISIS Caliphate. It is time now for others in the region, some of great wealth, to protect their own territory. THE USA IS GREAT!
Despite criticism, and the move being described as a "stab in the back" President Trump defended his sudden decision to pull back US troops from northeastern Syria, clearing the way for Turkish military invasion against Kurdish forces who fought alongside American forces to defeat the Islamic State.
Reuters has reported that Turkey’s sovereign dollar bonds have dropped their most in nearly a month on Monday on growing concerns about Ankara’s military operations in northeast Syria and the tweet by U.S. President Donald Trump threatening to obliterate the country’s economy. The 2038 issue US900123BB58=TE lost 1.3 cents to 102.102 cents in the dollar, its biggest daily fall since Sept. 10, according to Tradeweb data.
Authorities in Greece have also expanded their program to transfer migrants from overcrowded camps on the islands to the mainland amid concern that the number of arrivals from nearby Turkey could continue to rise following Turkish forces into Syria.
Greece has increased concern that more refugees may try to reach the European Union following a recent surge in arrivals.
Transfers to the mainland were expanded Sunday and Monday to include all five Greek islands in the eastern Aegean Sea with refugee camps.
