History threatened as Turkey prepares to flood ancient city Residents of Hasankeyf are apprehensive as the deadline to evacuate their 12,000-year-old village looms.
Andrew Wilks7 Oct 2019 For centuries, the residents of Hasankeyf have lived among a treasure trove of archaeological remains [File: Umit Bektas/Reuters] For centuries, the residents of Hasankeyf have lived among a treasure trove of archaeological remains [File: Umit Bektas/Reuters] Hasankeyf, Turkey - The rumble of heavy machinery is a background cacophony as the call to prayer rings out over this ancient town on the banks of the River Tigris in southeast Turkey.
The crash of rocks being shifted to prepare for the filling of a hydroelectric dam - that will see the town submerged - reminds residents that they face eviction in the coming days.
The preparation work, which coats the 12,000-year-old settlement in dust, has neared completion and locals now face the uncertainty of not knowing exactly when they will be forced from homes and businesses that have been in their families for generations.
"Everybody is traumatised by this," said Bulent Basaran, 50, from his restaurant overlooking the river. "We feel like we're in a coma. I don't see any light, just negative things and problems."
For years, the people of Hasankeyf have lived with the threat of their town being swallowed by waters behind the $1.3bn Ilisu dam, which lies 75km (47 miles) downstream.
Although they were given until Tuesday, October 8 to leave, the town's market and streets showed little sign of an impending evacuation over the past few days, despite a lack of customers at the stalls and shops selling local rugs and crafts.
"There's no date to leave now," Basaran said. "I guess it will be at the end of the tourist season next month. The district governor has threatened to cut off the electricity and water if we don't leave in a month."
Hasankeyf is one of the world's oldest settlements and has been the centre of numerous cultures and empires since the Bronze Age, including the Assyrians, Romans, the Ummayad and Abbasid caliphates, and the Turkic Seljuks and their Ottoman successors. Relocated minaret from 15th century Suleyman Han mosque A relocated minaret from the 15th century Suleyman Han mosque [Andrew Wilks/Al Jazeera] An ancient citadel, once an important Mesopotamian stopover on the Silk Road, overlooks the town and its limestone cliffs are dotted with thousands of man-made Neolithic caves.
"For us, the flooding of Hasankeyf is like the destruction of Palmyra by the Islamic State and the Buddha statues by the Taliban," said Ercan Ayboga, from the Initiative to Keep Hasankeyf Alive, referring to Syria's ancient ruins and the Bamyan monuments in Afghanistan.
Since its foundation in 2006, the initiative has led the campaign against flooding Hasankeyf and the surrounding region - organising protests and lobbying politicians in Turkey and Europe.
The group has campaigned for UNESCO World Heritage status for the site but, although Hasankeyf fulfils nine of the 10 criteria, the Turkish government did not apply for that protection. A bid at the European Court of Human Rights also failed with the court ruling it did not have jurisdiction.
With the impending flooding, residents are being told they will be moved across the river to a new town of identikit houses.
Many of the town's 3,000 inhabitants, most of whom rely on tourism for a living, have moved to the new settlement as a resigned mood takes over. Others are waiting until the last minute before leaving.
Ayboga said the town's population had been "misled on purpose" by the authorities over claims of renewed prosperity with the coming of the dam, which will displace 15,000 people from 199 towns and villages as the Tigris rises by 60 metres.
The government did not respond to emailed questions but two months ago Agriculture and Forestry Minister Bekir Pakdemirli, whose department is supervising the project, said New Hasankeyf would have better services, larger homes and a revitalised tourism industry. He added that 500 million lire ($87.8m) had been allocated for resettlement.
Ankara has long maintained the Southeastern Anatolia Project, of which the 3,800 gigawatt-a-year dam is a part, will improve life in Turkey's poorest and least developed region.
The construction of a reservoir embankment along the cliffs facing the Tigris had seen many businesses relocate from the riverside into the town in recent years, they will now have to move again.
'Forced out'
Osman Turan, 69, runs the Konak restaurant with two partners. They have been forced to move twice in the last decade because of the dam.
"This will be the third time I have been forced out of my business," he said. "We haven't been provided with a business in the new town. What can I do?
"We can't stop the dam but they should give us a future. I've done this work for many years. I just want to carry on."
Co-owner Ali Aslankilic, 43, is one of those who have not been offered one of the new town's 710 homes.
"I haven't been given a new home because I'm not married," he said. "When this is gone, I will do nothing. I used to have two stores in the old bazaar for 25 years. I was doing the same crafts that my grandfather taught me."
He added: "I just want them to give me my life back. I don't want to be a refugee in my own country, being forced away from my family's home."
Treasure trove of history
For centuries, the residents of Hasankeyf have lived among a treasure trove of archaeological remains.
As well as 5,500 caves that dot the cliffs, the town was home to the 15th-century mausoleum of Zeynel Bey, the son of a Turkic ruler killed in battle. The 17-metre-tall tomb, with its intricate blue tiled exterior, is a striking example of Anatolian architecture.
The cliff-top remains of a 4th-century Roman fortress, a 900-year-old Seljuk palace and the El Rizk mosque, built in 1409 by Ayyubid Sultan Suleyman, are some of the other outstanding monuments.
Father-of-three Mahmut Yildirimer's family is one of 250 families - about half of Hasankeyf's population - to have moved to the new town.
Sitting in his back garden - barren apart from a few recently planted shrubs, a chicken coop and a breeze-block shed for his prized pigeons - the unemployed 33-year-old said the new home cost 150,000 lire ($26,300) but he would not have to begin paying the instalments for five years.
New home owner Mahmut Yildirimer New home owner Mahmut Yildirimer said his kids walk 30 minutes to get to school [Andrew Wilks/Al Jazeera] Despite such seemingly preferential terms, he said the house, which his family moved into shortly after completion less than a month ago, was already showing cracks in its walls that he blamed on nearby dynamiting to provide rocks for the dam's embankment.
"Also the water was cut off for a week recently and sometimes it's more," he added. "My children's school is very far away and they have to walk half an hour to get there."
Each applicant for a home in the new town faced a wait of more than a year before finding out if they had been successful, with many refused a place because they did not fulfil criteria such as being married.
Some who moved away briefly for seasonal work found they were excluded by not being continuous residents during a specific period.
The authorities, however, have provided trucks to help transport household goods to the new houses.
The new town boasts a museum sitting among eight relocated archaeological structures, including a 15th-century minaret and the Zeynel Bey tomb that were reassembled piece-by-piece or transported intact.
Other sites, such as a pre-historic underground city where the townspeople would shelter in times of war, have been concreted over to protect them from the water.
Gazing across at the new town, Mehmet Tilki, 66, the last resident of the caves on the south side of the Tigris, where he has lived with his dog, cat and chickens since retiring as a local public servant.
"If they let me, I will stay here," he said between mouthfuls of watermelon harvested from his small garden. "This place belonged to my grandfathers in the Ottoman times so now it is mine."
He appeared relaxed about the fate of the town. "No one knows the exact history of this place so what is happening is bad for the world, not just Hasankeyf," he said. "But maybe the dam will bring jobs and stop people going to Europe or Istanbul to find work."
However, Suleyman Agalday, who runs a small open-air cafe below Tilki's cave, was less sanguine.
"My family has been here for countless generations and I can't begin to explain what this place means to me," he said. "Moving from here is like God taking Adam from the Garden of Eden and putting him in the world, although we didn't even eat the apple.
"I will be the last one to leave Hasankeyf. I will be here until the end. I have a family and life has to continue but wherever I am in the world, my heart will be here. This is where we come from and this is our land, we belong here."
Mazars and Deutsche Bank could have ended this nightmare before it started. They could still get him out of office. But instead, they want mass death. Don’t forget that.
Trump Turned His Back on Syrian Kurds. Here’s How They View Their New Precarious Position. October 8 2019, 4:31 p.m. Sherin Tamo remembers watching the U.S. airstrikes hit the Syrian town of Kobane from across the border in Turkey. It was September 2014, and the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria had laid siege to the border town from three sides. Turkey had refused to let reinforcements through the border but let residents like Tamo escape. She watched from the Turkish side of the border as ISIS pressed farther and farther into the majority Kurdish area. Then came the U.S.
On September 27, the U.S.-led coalition began a massive, prolonged, and deadly bombing campaign in Syria, targeting ISIS units around Kobane and initiating a partnership with the Kurdish People’s Protection Units, known by their Kurdish initials YPG, that would go on to become arguably the most effective force against ISIS. “When we heard the U.S. airstrikes, we were very happy,” recalled Tamo, a Kurdish resident of Kobane. “We applauded with every airstrike on our city by saying, ‘Let our houses collapse over their heads, ISIS.’”
That partnership may now be nearing a tumultuous end as President Donald Trump’s sudden decision to grant an apparent green light for a Turkish invasion of northern Syria opened the door to a potential humanitarian catastrophe. In the latest of a long line of American betrayals of the Kurds, a White House press release issued late Sunday night, apparently following a phone call between Trump and Turkish President Recip Tayyip Erdogan, said, “Turkey will soon be moving forward with its long-planned operation into Northern Syria.”
Related The U.S. Is Now Betraying the Kurds for the Eighth Time The northeastern Syrian region is administered by a Kurdish-led faction, the Syrian Democratic Forces, or SDF, that did much of the heavy lifting on the ground during the U.S.-led coalition war against ISIS. Widely praised for their role in battling ISIS, the Kurdish forces may now be on their own — and facing a daunting battle against their historic foes in the Turkish government. “The United States Armed Forces will not support or be involved in the operation,” said the White House statement, “and United States forces, having defeated the ISIS territorial ‘Caliphate,’ will no longer be in the immediate area.”
The apparent about-face from the U.S. — though its exact contours are unclear, owing to typical Trump administration chaos — has left erstwhile allies among Syria’s Kurds with an intense sense of apprehension. A Turkish invasion could devastate the region, reshape its demography, and force a new geopolitical realignment among Kurds that would set back their push for autonomy to the days before the Syrian civil war. Like some Western analysts, the Kurds are worried about the long-term security consequences under de facto Turkish rule — not least how Erdogan’s government, with its own complicated relationship to extremists fighting in Syria, deals with the remnants of ISIS.
Syrian Kurdish demonstrators flash the V for victory sign as they march in the northeastern city of Qamishli on August 27, 2019 during a protest against Turkish threats to invade the Kurdish region. - The Kurdish authorities in northeast Syria said Tuesday their forces had started to withdraw from outposts along the Turkish border after a US-Turkish deal for a buffer zone there. (Photo by Delil SOULEIMAN / AFP) Syrian Kurdish demonstrators march in the northeastern city of Qamishli to protest against Turkish threats to invade the Kurdish region on Aug. 27, 2019. Photo: Delil Souleiman/AFP/Getty Images “They Are Going to Destroy Our Region”
Kurds in northern Syria said they feel abandoned by the United States and fear the potential violence unleashed from a Turkish operation. “It’s a crazy decision to allow Turkey to attack Rojava,” said Mustafa Alali, using the Kurdish term for the region.
“The U.S. knows very well if Turkey attacks, they are going to destroy our region. They know this truth.” Alali, a journalist who also hails from Kobane, pointed to the sacrifices the Kurdish-led coalition has made in combating ISIS, citing an estimated 11,000 SDF fighters killed in the war. “The U.S. knows very well if Turkey attacks, they are going to destroy our region. They know this truth,” he said. “For Turkey, if you’re a Kurd, you’re a terrorist.”
The Turkish government has long agitated for an incursion into northeast Syria, pointing to the Kurdish-dominated SDF as a threat because of its ties to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, a Kurdish organization outlawed in Turkey that has led a 40-year insurrection against the government.
“People feel terrible,” said Alali. “Everyone was not expecting [the U.S.] to allow the Turks to attack us, especially after what happened in Afrin with so many killed and arrested.” Afrin is a neighboring Syrian-Kurdish region invaded by Turkish forces in 2018. The aftermath of the invasion of Afrin saw alleged incidents of ethnic cleansing targeting Kurds, as well as vulnerable minorities like Yazidis and Christians.
“We’ve documented Turkish-backed factions arbitrarily arresting individuals, looting, harassing, and confiscating property with very little accountability. When these violations were raised with Turkey, they turned a blind eye,” said Sara Kayyali, a Syria researcher for Human Rights Watch, of Afrin.
Kayyali added that another Turkish incursion could worsen what is already the worst crisis of displacement in the world, where some 12 million have already been driven from their homes: “Syria is already facing a major displacement crisis as a result of the hostilities in the northwest and in Idlib. Any kind of instability is likely to increase this.”
Turkish soldiers prepare an armored vehicle as Turkish armed forces drive towards the border with Syria near Akcakale in Sanliurfa province on October 8, 2019. - Turkey said on October 8, 2019, it was ready for an offensive into northern Syria, while President Donald Trump insisted the United States had not abandoned its Kurdish allies who would be targeted in the assault. Trump has blown hot and cold since a surprise announcement two days before that Washington was pulling back 50 to 100 "special operators" from Syria's northern frontier. (Photo by BULENT KILIC / AFP) (Photo by BULENT KILIC/AFP via Getty Images) Turkish soldiers prepare an armored vehicle as Turkish armed forces drive toward the border with Syria near Akcakale in Sanliurfa province on Oct. 8, 2019. Photo: Bulent Kilic/AFP via Getty Images Forced Demographic Change
Among other threats, Kurds in northeastern Syria fear a Turkish-enforced program of forced demographic change accompanying any invasion. The Turkish government has made no secret of its plans to resettle millions of Syrian Arab refugees in a “safe zone” under its control in northern Syria.
Turkey is home to more than 3.6 million Syrians and anti-refugee sentiment has been gradually building, leading to incidents of rioting and physical assaults targeting Syrians. An invasion would open the door to removing refugees from Turkish territory and sending them back across the border, therefore diluting the Kurdish population there.
“For years, there have been millions of refugees living in Turkey, and public opinion is now overwhelmingly against their presence,” said Mohammed Salih, an Iraqi Kurdish journalist and doctoral student at the University of Pennsylvania’s Annenberg School for Communication. “A Turkish invasion of Syria would open the door to sending those refugees back. This would boost Erdogan’s credentials with the Turkish electorate and also deal a heavy blow to the YPG and PKK, by creating an Arab ‘buffer zone’ in northern Syria.”
FILE - In this Feb. 22, 2019 file photo, U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) fighters stand guard next to men waiting to be screened after being evacuated out of the last territory held by Islamic State group militants, near Baghouz, eastern Syria. The IS could get a new injection of life if conflict erupts between the Kurds and Turkey in northeast Syria as the U.S. pulls its troops back from the area. The White House has said Turkey will take over responsibility for the thousands of IS fighters captured during the long campaign that defeated the militants in Syria. But it’s not clear how that could happen. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana, File) U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces fighters stand guard over men waiting to be screened after being evacuated out of the last territory held by Islamic State group militants, near Baghouz in eastern Syria, on Feb. 22, 2019. Photo: Felipe Dana/AP ISIS Revived
In addition to the humanitarian and political threats, a major war between Turkey and the SDF in northern Syria could breathe life back into ISIS’s largely sidelined insurgency. Thousands of ISIS prisoners are still being held in SDF custody, including many dead-end ISIS adherents at the al-Hol camp in the northeast.
Kurdish-led forces are already struggling to maintain control over these prisoners, some of whom are citizens of Western countries. Should the region descend into chaos, it would create a fertile new recruiting ground for extremists, while potentially allowing ISIS members in custody to break free. Maintaining the prisons that hold some 12,000 ISIS fighters has, in the words of one Kurdish general speaking to NBC News, become a “second priority.”
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While Trump has boasted about defeating ISIS — including in his most recent statement green-lighting the Turkish invasion — he may well be laying the groundwork for the group’s return.
Fears of an extremist resurgence helped galvanize a pushback to Trump’s decision from current and former U.S. officials. Such fears have also been echoed by the Kurdish-led movements that fought ISIS and may now be on the brink of war with Turkey.
“Every single civilian is worried about the fate of the region — let’s keep in mind that any destabilization of the region will increase the strength of ISIS,” said Amjed Othman, a spokesperson for the Syrian Democratic Council, the political wing of the SDF. “These fighters and their families in camps in northeastern Syria are presenting a very dangerous situation. In case the SDF is dragged into military combat with Turkey, the presence of these terrorists, or any chaos, will be a dangerous situation for us, the region, and for international peace. Again, the U.S. is actually abandoning the fight against terrorism.”
The SDF general who spoke to NBC News also suggested a geopolitical shift, whereby Kurds in Syria’s northeast could turn to the government of Bashar al-Assad to protect their autonomy from current encroachment. Asked whether the SDF would now seek to ally with the Syrian government or Russian forces, Othman said, “For us, we will work with any side that accepts our demands.”
Distrust of the U.S.
Sherin Tamo, the Kurdish woman from Kobane, said some are still hopeful that Trump’s decision to withdraw American troops will be quickly reversed, as similar announcements have been in the past. His statements have nonetheless already shaken Kurds’ confidence in the U.S. “Local people no longer trust the United States,” she said. “They believe that Trump is temperamental in his remarks. They live hours of anxiety and then he comes out with a modified or opposite statement.”
“America doesn’t need the Kurds any more. All people know is that the great powers only defend their interests.” Like many other residents of northern Syria, Tamo is now faced with the agonizing prospect of potentially fleeing her home in the face of a Turkish offensive. “I am between two fires if Turkey invades our regions,” she said, “my duty towards my city is to stay, and my duty as a mother to save my children.”
That offensive may yet be averted, but the feeling of bitterness and betrayal among Syrian Kurds — celebrated not long ago for their dogged resistance against ISIS — has left its mark.
“When the U.S. intervened in the war against ISIS, it did not find a better partner other than the Kurds. Syrian Kurds proved to be good allies for the U.S. And with the territorial defeat of ISIS, I think America doesn’t need the Kurds anymore,” Tamo said. “All people know is that the great powers only defend their interests.” https://theintercept.com/2019/10/08/syr ... mp-turkey/
We Have a Great and Unmatched Idiot in the Oval Office If you wanted to fracture the Western Alliance, what would you do right now that Donald Trump isn't doing?
By Charles P. PierceOct 7, 2019 U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House The Washington PostGetty Images Well, this seems to be working out splendidly. From I24:
Turkey's air force launched an offensive against Kurdish targets in north-east Syria, the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) reported late Monday, followed by the US's earlier announcement not to intervene in the region. Absolutely splendidly. From the Jerusalem Post:
Turkish forces attacked SDF positions in the city of al-Malikiyah in northern Syria, according to Syrian state news agency SANA. The Turkish Air Force "neutralized" three PKK (Kurdistan Workers' Party) members in northern Iraq on Monday, according to the Turkish National Defense Ministry, reported the Turkish Anadolu Agency. The attacks were carried out in the Gara region near the Turkey-Iraq border. Splendidly, with great and unmatched splendor. From Stars and Stripes:
"The Department of Defense made clear to Turkey -- as did the President [Donald Trump] -- that we do not endorse a Turkish operation in northern Syria. The U.S. armed forces will not support, or be involved in any such operation,” Jonathan Hoffman, the Pentagon’s chief spokesman said in the statement. “We will work with our other NATO allies and [anti-ISIS] coalition partners to reiterate to Turkey the possible destabilizing consequences of potential actions to Turkey, the region, and beyond." If you wanted to fracture the western alliance, and you wanted the United States to help you do it, what would you do right now that the president* isn't doing? Do we even know if all the American troops have cleared the combat zone? Does anybody care if they have?
Kurds in Syria warn of ‘humanitarian catastrophe’ as Turkish invasion looms Warning of a “humanitarian catastrophe,” Syrian Kurdish forces who are allied with the United States issued a “general mobilization” call on Wednesday in northeastern Syria, along the border with Turkey, as Ankara threatened an imminent invasion of the area.
The Turkish operation would ignite new fighting in the country’s eight-year-old war, potentially displacing hundreds of thousands of people.
Turkey has long threatened an attack on the Kurdish fighters in Syria, whom Ankara considers terrorists allied with a Kurdish insurgency within Turkey. A Syrian war monitoring group, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, reported Wednesday that people were fleeing the border town of Tal Abyad.
AP journalists on the Turkish side of the border overlooking Tal Abyad saw Turkish forces crossing into Syria in military vehicles Wednesday, though there was no official statement from either side that the offensive had begun.
Expectations of a Turkish invasion rose after President Trump on Sunday abruptly announced that American troops would step aside ahead of the Turkish push — a shift in U.S. policy that essentially abandoned the Syrian Kurds, longtime U.S. allies in the fight against the Islamic State group in Syria.
But Trump also threatened to “totally destroy and obliterate” Turkey’s economy if the Turkish push into Syria went too far.
Turkey has been massing troops for days along its border with Syria and vowed it would go ahead with the military operation.
A senior Turkish official said Wednesday that Turkey’s troops would “shortly” cross into Syria, together with allied Syrian rebel forces to battle the Kurdish fighters and also the Islamic State group.
Trump later cast his decision to pull back U.S. troops from parts of northeast Syria as fulfilling a campaign promise to withdraw from the “endless war” in the Middle East. Republican critics and others said he was sacrificing a U.S. ally, the Syrian Kurdish forces, and undermining American credibility.
Fahrettin Altun, the Turkish presidency’s communications director, called on the international community in a Washington Post op-ed published Wednesday “to rally” behind Ankara, which he said would also take over the fight against the Islamic State group.
Turkey aimed to “neutralize” Syrian Kurdish militants in northeast Syria and to “liberate the local population from the yoke of the armed thugs,” Altun wrote.
Turkey’s defense Hulusi Akar told state-run Anadolu Agency that Turkish preparations for the offensive were continuing.
In its call for mobilization, the local civilian Kurdish authority, known as the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria, also urged the international community to live up to its responsibilities as “a humanitarian catastrophe might befall our people” in the region.
“We call upon our people, of all ethnic groups, to move toward areas close to the border with Turkey to carry out acts of resistance during this sensitive historical time,” it said. The statement said the mobilization would last for three days.
The Kurds also said that they want the U.S.-led coalition to set up a no-fly zone in northeast Syria to protect the civilian population from Turkish airstrikes.
Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov accused Washington of playing “very dangerous games” with the Syrian Kurds, saying that the U.S. first propped up the Syrian Kurdish “quasi state” in northeastern Syria and is now withdrawing its support.
“Such reckless attitude to this highly sensitive subject can set fire to the entire region, and we have to avoid it at any cost,” he said during a visit to Kazakhstan. Russian news said Moscow has communicated that position Washington.
Earlier on Wednesday, Islamic State militants targeted a post of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces in the northern Syrian city of Raqqah, which was once the de facto Islamic State capital at the height of the militants’ power in the region.
The Kurdish-led SDF, which is holding thousands of Islamic State fighters in several detention facilities in northeastern Syria, has warned that a Turkish incursion might lead to the resurgence of the extremists. The U.S. allied Kurdish-led force captured the last area controlled by the militants in eastern Syria in March.
In Wednesday’s attack, Islamic State launched three suicide bombings against Kurdish positions in Raqqah. There was no immediate word on casualties. An activist collective that covers news in the northern city reported an exchange of fire and a blast.
The Observatory said the Raqqa attack involved two Islamic State fighters who engaged in a shootout before blowing themselves up.
Also Wednesday, Iranian state television reported a surprise military drill with special operations forces near the country’s border with Turkey, in Iran’s Western Azerbaijan province. The TV didn’t mention the expected Turkish offensive into Syria or elaborate on the reasons for the drill.
The head of the Arab League, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, said he is alarmed at Turkey’s planned military offensive, adding in a statement that such an invasion would be a “blatant violation of Syria’s sovereignty and threatens Syria’s integrity.”
Aboul Gheit said the planned incursion also threatens to inflame further conflicts in eastern and northern Syria, and “could allow for the revival” of the Islamic State group. https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/st ... res-attack
Mazars and Deutsche Bank could have ended this nightmare before it started. They could still get him out of office. But instead, they want mass death. Don’t forget that.
Trump defends abandoning the Kurds by saying they didn't help the US in WWII John Haltiwanger 6 hours ago
President Donald Trump on Wednesday continued to defend his decision to withdraw US troops from northeastern Syria, abandoning Kurdish forces in the region, by saying the Kurds did not help the US during World War II. "They didn't help us in the Second World War; they didn't help us with Normandy," Trump said of the Kurds, who played a vital role in the US-led campaign against ISIS. And when asked by reporters whether he felt the Syria retreat and treatment of the Kurds sent a poor message to other potential US allies, Trump said, "Alliances are very easy." Trump's comments came hours after Turkey launched a military operation against the formerly US-backed Kurdish forces in Syria. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. President Donald Trump on Wednesday defended his decision to abandon the Kurds to a Turkish military incursion in Syria by saying they didn't help the US during World War II.
This came amid reports that Turkish ground troops were crossing the border into Syria after air strikes that began earlier in the day.
"They didn't help us in the Second World War; they didn't help us with Normandy," Trump said of the Kurds. He added, "With all of that being said, we like the Kurds."
Luis Velarde ✔ @luivelarde Trump on the Kurds: "They didn't help us in the Second World War, they didn't help us with Normandy, as an example." He suggests that they battled alongside U.S. forces for "their land," and adds, "With all of that being said, we like the Kurds." Embedded video
354 4:15 PM - Oct 9, 2019 Twitter Ads info and privacy
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Earlier on Wednesday, Trump said in a statement released by the White House that he did not endorse the Turkish military operation and thought it was a "bad idea." But he did not refer directly to the Kurds or signal any immediate response from the US to thwart Turkey's actions.
Read more: Turkey launches military operation against the Kurds in Syria just days after Trump abandoned them
The Trump administration on Sunday abruptly announced the US was withdrawing troops stationed in northeastern Syria ahead of a Turkish operation.
The move has been broadly condemned in Washington, including by top congressional Republicans and former Trump administration officials, as many feel Trump paved the way for Turkey to go after key US allies.
The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) bore the brunt of the US-led campaign against ISIS, losing about 11,000 fighters in the process.
Ahead of the Trump administration's announcement, Kurdish forces had recently dismantled defensive positions along the Turkey-Syria border under assurances from the US it would not allow a Turkish assault. The SDF described Trump's decision to withdraw troops as a "stab in the back" and made clear it felt betrayed by the US.
'Alliances are very easy'
Shortly after his reference to WWII on Wednesday, when he was asked by reporters whether he felt the Syria retreat and treatment of the Kurds sent a poor message to other potential US allies, Trump said, "Alliances are very easy." The president said it "won't be" hard for the US to form new partnerships.
Justin Baragona ✔ @justinbaragona Asked if it will be harder for the U.S. to build alliances overseas after abandoning the Kurds, Trump answers: "It won’t be at all. Alliances are very easy." Embedded video
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Trump also said "our alliances" have "taken tremendous advantage of us."
But a number of congressional lawmakers and former US officials have expressed concerns about the message sent to allies or future partners by the Trump administration's Syria retreat.
Read more: Republicans and former US officials rip into Trump for abandoning the Kurds in Syria
Trump's former top envoy in the fight against ISIS, Brett McGurk, was particularly critical of the president.
McGurk in a tweet on Monday said, "Donald Trump is not a Commander-in-Chief. He makes impulsive decisions with no knowledge or deliberation. He sends military personnel into harm's way with no backing. He blusters and then leaves our allies exposed when adversaries call his bluff or he confronts a hard phone call."
Similarly, Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, a key ally for Trump in Congress who sits on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, on Monday tweeted, "By abandoning the Kurds we have sent the most dangerous signal possible — America is an unreliable ally and it's just a matter of time before China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea act out in dangerous ways."
Graham on Wednesday announced he had reached a bipartisan agreement with Democratic Sen. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland for "severe sanctions" against Turkey in light of the operation against the Kurds. "While the Administration refuses to act against Turkey, I expect strong bipartisan support," Graham said in a tweet.
In a separate tweet, he added, "America is better than this. Please stand up to Turkey, Mr. President.
Turkey is a fellow NATO member but has a complicated relationship with the US. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's critics view him as a dangerous autocrat and enemy to democracy.
There are also fears that the Turkish operation will create a security vacuum and open the door to the resurgence of ISIS while also serving to the benefit of Syrian President Bashar Assad, Iran, and Russia. Kurdish forces have been detaining thousands of ISIS fighters, and many fear the Turkish operation will pave the way for their escape. Trump on Wednesday said if the ISIS fighters were to get out, they would be "escaping to Europe."
Along these lines, many US lawmakers have questioned the logic of Trump's decision and how it benefits US national-security and strategic interests.
'This attack will spill the blood of thousands of innocent civilians'
The Kurds and Turkey have been at odds for years, and the dominant fighting force in the SDF — the Syrian Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) — is viewed by the Turkish government as a terrorist affiliate because of its ties to the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). The PKK for decades has waged a violent campaign against the Turkish government as part of a broader effort to establish an independent Kurdish state within Turkey.
In tweets announcing the onset of Turkey's military incursion into Syria on Wednesday, Erdogan said the operation's goal was to "neutralize terror threats against Turkey and lead to the establishment of a safe zone, facilitating the return of Syrian refugees to their homes."
Read more: Trump's Syria retreat is a massive break from post-9/11 Republicanism
"Our mission is to prevent the creation of a terror corridor across our southern border and to bring peace to the area," Erdogan said.
Meanwhile, the SDF has pleaded with the US and its allies to establish a no-fly zone in the region and "carry out their responsibilities to avoid a possible impending humanitarian disaster."
Preet was fired shortly after Giuliani met with Erdogan.
Elie Honig
At some point in early 2017, somebody had to have whispered into Trump’s ear something like “Hey boss, we’re gonna be breaking a lotta laws and obstructing a lotta justice in NY, so this @PreetBharara guy’s gotta go.” Who was it? Rudy? Jared? Other? https://twitter.com/klasfeldreports/sta ... 8971832320 … 6:13 PM - 9 Oct 2019
Neva 1/ Add Flynn to the Tillerson, Giuliani, Zarrab mess—
December 2016 meeting between Flynn and senior Turkish officials Flynn and other participants discussed a way to free a Turkish-Iranian gold trader, Reza Zarrab, who is jailed in the U.S.
2/ Zarrab is facing federal charges that he helped Iran skirt U.S. sanctions
Rudy Giuliani, who was a top Trump campaign surrogate alongside Flynn, is part of Zarrab's defense team
3/ The New York Times reported that Giuliani met Erdoğan in late February Giuliani and Erdogan discussed an agreement under which Zarrab would be freed in exchange for Turkey's help furthering U.S. interests in the region
4/ The meeting allegedly took place at the upscale 21 Club restaurant in New York, just blocks away from Trump Tower Flynn, his son, and several Turkish officials planned to deliver—kidnap, basically—Fethullah Gülen to the Turkish government in exchange for $15 million
5/ November of 2016, The Hill published an op-ed written by Flynn comparing Gulen to Osama bin Laden
Flynn urged the U.S. to “adjust our foreign policy to recognize Turkey as a priority”
6/ Prosecutors charged Bijan Rafiekian, aka Bijan Kian, and Kamil Ekim Alptekin with acting as unregistered agents of the Turkish government in a plot centered around Turkish cleric Fethullah Gulen, who lives in Pennsylvania
7/ Bijan Kian faces up to 15 years of imprisonment, and Kamil Ekim Alptekin faces up to 30 years of imprisonment
Turkish President Implicated in Iran Sanctions Case ADAM KLASFELD November 30, 2017
Ahead of a May 16 meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his wife, Emine, disembark from a plane after arriving in Washington on May 15, 2017. (Presidency Press Service/Pool photo via AP)
MANHATTAN (CN) – The U.S. government’s key witness in a trial over billions of dollars funneled to Iran implicated Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the scheme Thursday.
“What I’m saying is that the prime minister at that time period, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and minister of the treasury, Ali Babacan, had given orders to start doing this trade,” Reza Zarrab testified this morning.
A wealthy businessman who has been cooperating with U.S. prosecutors as part of a plea deal in the same case, Zarrab has been regaling jurors for two days about bribes to Turkish officials and a complicated scheme in which using gold trades were used to circumvent U.S. sanctions against Iran.
Erdogan would not become president of Turkey until 2014. It was as the country’s prime minister, Zarrab said, that Erdogan ordered trades between Iran and Turkey’s Ziraat Bank and Vakif Bank.
Reza Zarrab, a 34-year-old gold trader who was charged in the U.S. for evading sanctions on Iran, is pictured in this Dec. 17, 2013, photo surrounded by the media at a courthouse in Istanbul. The case against Zarrab is built on work initially performed by Turkish investigators who targeted him in 2013 in a sweeping corruption scandal that led high up to Turkish government Turkey’s official news agency reported that prosecutors there launched an investigation on Nov. 18, 2017, into two U.S. prosecutors involved in trying the Turkish-Iranian businessman. (Depo Photos via AP) Zarrab said he assumed Ziraat Bank had offices in New York at the time of the trades.
Before this morning’s testimony, Erdogan released a statement defending his government’s conduct.
“We have both energy and trade relations with Iran,” Erdogan said, according to a translation by City University of New York professor Louis Fishman.
“We did not violate the [U.S.] embargo,” the Turkish president added. “Whatever happens in trial we did the correct thing. We did not have such an commitment to U.S. The world does not consist of the U.S. alone.”
Zarrab specified that he did not have direct knowledge of Erdogan’s alleged order, which he said he learned about from Turkey’s then-economic minister Zafer Caglayan.
A day earlier, Zarrab claimed to have bribed Caglayan between “45 and 50 million in euros” and more in other currency in service of the money laundering scheme, and the alleged corruption scheme expanded again today.
Zarrab said that he paid $2 million to Suleyman Aslan, the general manager of the state-run Halkbank.
The allegation put prosecutors one step closer to the man on trial: Mehmet Atilla, a manager at the same bank.
Zarrab did not accuse Atilla of corruption: Paying off anyone else was unnecessary, Zarrab said, because Caglayan and Aslan were already on the payroll.
“I was already giving bribes to the Turkish minister of the economy,” Zarrab noted.
But Atilla, according to Zarrab, was necessary to formulate a scheme to disguise Iranian assets in the form of food aid, which prosecutors claim to have been a sham.
Prosecutors played two audio recordings today of conversations between Zarrab and Atilla speaking of these transactions in Turkish.
During one of these conversations, Zarrab claims that Atilla told him: “Yes, I have knowledge of this matter,” referring to the Iranian transactions.
Atilla’s name had previously received scant mention, even though he is the sole defendant.
During opening statements, Assistant U.S. Attorney David Denton called Atilla the “architect” of the money laundering scheme, and he introduced a message indicating that the 47-year-old bank manager helped create the system.
Asked whether he had a “problem with the method proposed by Hakan Atilla” in April 2013, Zarrab replied: “No, that is absolutely the correct method.”
Prosecutors also introduced evidence through WhatsApp, the popular chat platform for encrypted communications.
“Generally, we were writing on WhatsApp the sensitive subjects, the private subjects and the important subjects,” Zarrab said.
In one message entered into evidence, Zarrab told Aslan: “My dear general manager, I started food today,” which he described as another nod to the Iran trades.
Zarrab’s testimony has received intense attention in Turkey, where Erdogan’s opponents see it as a reckoning over a 2013 corruption scandal that implicated several top people in the Turkish government.
One of those officials, former Turkish Minister of the Interior Muammer Guler, was caught up in that probe through his family, and Zarrab said today that he paid that man’s son Baris a $100,000 bribe.
The United States had Zarrab arrested in March 2016, years after the Turkish prosecution Erdogan described as a “judicial coup” evaporated.
The gold trader’s plea deal has raised eyebrows on both sides of the globe, with multiple outlets reporting that Zarrab may be cooperating in a probe of former White House national security adviser Michael Flynn.
As part of his investigation of Russian interference in the 2016, the Department of Justice’s special counsel Robert Mueller is reportedly eyeing whether Trump’s former national-security adviser Michael Flynn considered kidnapping a Turkish dissident living in Pennsylvania and delivering him to Erdogan in exchange for $15 million.
NBC reported that Mueller may also be interested in whether Turkish government officials ever sought Flynn’s help in winning Zarrab’s release from prison.
Zarrab has not testified to any of these U.S. political ripples of his case so far.
His testimony, originally expected to conclude Friday, is likely to last far longer because the prosecution’s direct examination has not yet ended. Atilla’s attorneys will likely then try to undermine Zarrab’s statements on cross-examination. https://www.courthousenews.com/money-la ... ader-says/
Mazars and Deutsche Bank could have ended this nightmare before it started. They could still get him out of office. But instead, they want mass death. Don’t forget that.
Why Giuliani Held a Secret Meeting With Turkey’s Leader April 20, 2017 Rudolph W. Giuliani is part of the legal team representing Reza Zarrab, a Turkish gold trader jailed in Manhattan on charges of conspiring to violate the American sanctions on Iran. Rudolph W. Giuliani is part of the legal team representing Reza Zarrab, a Turkish gold trader jailed in Manhattan on charges of conspiring to violate the American sanctions on Iran.Kevin Hagen for The New York Times In late February, as the United States and the rest of the world were adjusting to President Trump and Turkey was focused on a push by its president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, to expand his power, Mr. Erdogan agreed to an unusual meeting with some American visitors. The guests included Rudolph W. Giuliani, a former New York City mayor who had acted as a surrogate for Mr. Trump during his campaign, and another prominent lawyer, Michael B. Mukasey, who served as attorney general in President George W. Bush’s administration. The purpose of the visit by Mr. Giuliani and Mr. Mukasey was rather extraordinary: They hoped to reach a diplomatic deal under which Turkey might further aid the United States’ interests in the region. In return, the United States might release the two men’s client, Reza Zarrab, a Turkish gold trader being held in a Manhattan jail whose case had attracted Mr. Erdogan’s interest. Mr. Mukasey, in court papers made public on Wednesday, characterized the meeting as part of an effort to seek “a state-to-state resolution of this case,” and he hinted at some progress, saying, “Senior officials in both the U.S. government and the Turkish government remain receptive to pursuing the possibility of an agreement.”
Plea bargaining, even for the best-connected of defendants, is normally conducted by defense lawyers and prosecutors, often in courthouse corridors or drab government offices. But the efforts being made on behalf of Mr. Zarrab show the way that political access and diplomatic overtures can also be employed.
Mr. Zarrab, 33, is a well-known figure in Turkey, where he moved as an infant after being born in Iran (he is a citizen of both countries). He is married to a Turkish pop star and is regarded as a member of Mr. Erdogan’s circle of friends and associates. Photographs show Mr. Erdogan’s wife, Emine, attending at least one charity event alongside Mr. Zarrab and his wife.
Mr. Zarrab had also amassed “a considerable fortune,” according to American prosecutors, who say his holdings included ownership in a private airplane and about 20 properties, boats, luxury automobiles and millions of dollars’ worth of artwork.
In 2013, Mr. Zarrab was detained by the Turkish authorities in a wide-ranging corruption investigation of businessmen with close ties to Mr. Erdogan, who was then Turkey’s prime minister. But Mr. Zarrab used his influence with the Turkish government to win his release from prison, American prosecutors have said.
They raised the issue of what they called Mr. Zarrab’s “corrupt political connections” last year when they argued that he should not get bail in New York, where he faces charges that include conspiring to violate the United States’ sanctions on Iran. He has pleaded not guilty. Mr. Erdogan, taking a personal interest in the case, said last year that there were “malicious” intentions in the prosecution, and he also raised the matter with Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. during talks at the United Nations, according to Turkish news reports.
“We have to seek justice, for he is our citizen,” Mr. Erdogan said of Mr. Zarrab in September.
The subject of Mr. Zarrab came up again three weeks ago during a visit to Ankara, Turkey, by Secretary of State Rex W. Tillerson. During that visit, Turkey’s foreign minister, Mevlut Cavusoglu, accused Preet Bharara, then the United States attorney in Manhattan, whose office first charged Mr. Zarrab, of being a pawn of anti-Turkish forces. Mr. Bharara, who was fired by President Trump last month, had characterized Mr. Cavusoglu’s remarks as “political propaganda.” On Thursday, after The New York Times reported on the strategy by Mr. Giuliani and Mr. Mukasey to turn the case involving Mr. Zarrab into a matter of international diplomacy, Mr. Bharara said on Twitter, “One just hopes that the rule of law, and its independent enforcement, still matters in the United States and at the Department of Justice.” The efforts on Mr. Zarrab’s behalf come as Mr. Erdogan gains even more power in Turkey, after a hotly disputed referendum that expanded his authoritarian rule and drew a congratulatory phone call from Mr. Trump on Monday. Mr. Zarrab in Istanbul in 2013. Mr. Zarrab in Istanbul in 2013.Ozan Kose/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images Mr. Erdogan and Mr. Trump have made overtures to each other that suggest Turkey and the United States could become closer allies. The new court filing, by Mr. Zarrab’s lead lawyer, Benjamin Brafman, includes affidavits from Mr. Giuliani and Mr. Mukasey that make it clear they hope to get Mr. Erdogan to accept the notion that a diplomatic deal could be of mutual interest to Turkey and the United States. They wrote in the affidavits that a resolution that would be favorable for Mr. Zarrab could be “part of some agreement between the United States and Turkey that will promote the national security interests of the United States.”
Mr. Giuliani and Mr. Mukasey said it was “hardly surprising” that senior Turkish and United States officials were receptive to a possible deal, considering that none of the transactions in which Mr. Zarrab is accused of participating “involved weapons or nuclear technology, or any other contraband,” and that “Turkey is situated in a part of the world strategically critical to the United States.”
Some analysts in Turkey have suggested that if Mr. Zarrab were to be freed or returned to that country, Mr. Erdogan might be more inclined to fall in line with American interests in the Middle East.
Sinan Ulgen, a former Turkish diplomat and the chairman of the Center for Economics and Foreign Policy Studies, a liberal-leaning Turkish think tank, said the strategy implied that “allowing a free pass to Zarrab and company would create good will in Ankara that Washington could use to advance its own regional agenda,” with clearer support or at least less interference from the Turkish government.
Mr. Erdogan, for example, might be less resistant to American plans to retake Raqqa, Syria — the capital of the Islamic State, also known as ISIS — in collaboration with a Syrian Kurdish faction. Turkey regards that faction, known as the P.Y.D., as the Syrian offshoot of a proscribed militant group that operates on Turkish soil.
A swift end to the case against Mr. Zarrab, Mr. Ulgen said, might mean “Turkey would be much less resistant to the U.S.’s missions in Syria, and primarily its support to the P.Y.D.”
The United States also needs Turkey to continue to allow anti-ISIS bombing missions to fly out of an air base in the southern part of the country.
Analysts supportive of Mr. Erdogan’s government contend that Mr. Zarrab’s fate is of limited interest to the Turkish state. In the view of these analysts, the charges against him are spurious and were concocted in order to smear the Turkish president.
“This Zarrab issue is not a state issue in Turkey,” said Hasan Yalcin, strategic research director at Seta, a government-friendly think tank in Ankara. “It’s not an issue that the Turkish state is focusing on; it’s just speculation that the Turkish state is related to Zarrab.” State news media in Turkey reported recently that Istanbul’s chief prosecutor had opened an investigation into Mr. Bharara and 16 other United States-linked individuals in what Western diplomats regarded as retaliation for the Zarrab case. The affidavits by Mr. Giuliani and Mr. Mukasey were filed by Mr. Brafman, the defense lawyer, at the request of Judge Richard M. Berman of Federal District Court. Judge Berman initially said the affidavits could be filed under seal and ex parte, meaning the government would also not be able to see them. He subsequently directed that they be filed publicly, Mr. Brafman said.
“The affidavits speak for themselves,” he said, declining to comment further.
Mr. Giuliani and Mr. Mukasey wrote that both Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Mr. Bharara had been apprised “in general terms” before the meetings with Mr. Erdogan and other Turkish officials. They said they had also discussed their roles with, and had been briefed by, a State Department representative in Turkey before seeing Mr. Erdogan.
Copies of Mr. Zarrab’s retainer agreements with Mr. Giuliani’s and Mr. Mukasey’s law firms were also filed with the court but were not unsealed.
A version of this article appears in print on , Section A, Page 1 of the New York edition with the headline: Why Giuliani Was Granted a Meeting With Turkey’s President. Order http://archive.is/wrfDc
Mazars and Deutsche Bank could have ended this nightmare before it started. They could still get him out of office. But instead, they want mass death. Don’t forget that.
BACKLASH Trump’s GOP Allies Are Livid at His Inaction on Turkey A nearly united Congress is prepping new sanctions and furious over the president’s abandonment of the Kurds in northern Syria.
Sam Brodey Congressional Reporter Updated 10.10.19 4:14AM ET Published 10.09.19 6:43PM ET
Capitol Hill managed a rare show of unity on Wednesday, as lawmakers from both parties recoiled in horror at a lightning-fast Turkish invasion of Kurdish territory in Syria and coalesced around the idea of responding through tough new sanctions on Turkey.
And nearly every single one—regardless of party—blamed President Donald Trump for starting it all, when he abruptly announced on Sunday the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Kurdish lands in northern Syria.
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), who spent the week engaging in a lengthy Twitter tirade against the president’s decision, ratcheted up his rhetoric on Wednesday morning against Turkey and the administration.
“Pray for our Kurdish allies who have been shamelessly abandoned by the Trump Administration. This move ensures the reemergence of ISIS,” Graham tweeted on Wednesday. “Will lead effort in Congress to make Erdoğan pay a heavy price.”
By Wednesday afternoon, Graham announced legislation with Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) that would impose aggressive new sanctions on Turkey.
The bill would sanction the U.S. assets of top Turkish leaders, including President Recep Tayyep Erdoğan; it also would punish any foreign individual or entity who sells weapons or provides military aid to Turkey, or supports the country’s domestic energy industry.
Van Hollen, meanwhile, tweeted on Wednesday morning that Turkey must pay a “heavy price” for its actions. “Senators on both sides of the aisle won't support abandoning the one regional group most responsible for putting ISIS on its heels.”
Trump himself initially promised to impose crippling sanctions on Turkey if they moved forward with military action against the Kurdish ethnic minority, which has been a steadfast partner to American military efforts in the region for years but is viewed as a terrorist element by Erdoğan.
“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,” he tweeted.
But by Wednesday afternoon, Trump appeared less committed to the fire and fury in the wake of the invasion, but indicated he had no problem with Graham’s sanctions and still promised to “wipe out” Turkey’s economy if Erdoğan attempted to “wipe out” the Kurds.
“We’re speaking to both sides. We’ve told President Erodgan how we feel, but we are speaking to both sides and we’re seeing what can be made out of a situation, but we have no soldiers in the area,” Trump told reporters when asked about the decision to abandon the Kurds. “We are getting out of the endless wars. We have to do it.”
The president then, appearing to cite an article on TownHall.com, added the Kurds, “didn’t help us in the Second World War, they didn’t help us with Normandy as an example” … “but they’re there to help us with their land, and that’s a different thing.”
By the time Trump spoke, Graham and like-minded lawmakers had already determined a tough response was warranted. “While the Administration refuses to act against Turkey, I expect strong bipartisan support,” Graham said of his legislation.
Indeed, criticism was widespread in the GOP ranks for Trump’s move. While Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), the top House Republican, slammed the move by calling on Turkey to stop it instead of mentioning Trump, Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY), the number three House Republican, named names.
The president’s decision to withdraw is “having sickening and predictable consequences,” said Cheney. “The U.S. is abandoning our ally the Kurds, who fought ISIS on the ground and helped protect the U.S. homeland… This action imperils American security and that of our allies. Congress must and will act to limit the catastrophic impact of this decision.”
The quick turn of events—one of the harshest rebukes yet of GOP establishment foreign policy from a president who never warmed to it in the first place—has left many Republicans on the Hill scratching their heads. “We have maybe one senator happy about this decision,” a GOP staffer told The Daily Beast. “It perplexes me that we’re in a position where the majority of Republicans who will carry the banner of Republicans in the post-Trump era are, saying this is not good.”
Indeed, one of the few GOP lawmakers to cheer the decision was Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), the libertarian-minded Trump confidant who’s urged on the president’s more isolationist instincts over the objections of most of the rest of the party.
In a Twitter victory lap on Wednesday, Paul taunted the “Cheney/Graham Neocon War Caucus” and praised Trump as “the first president in my lifetime to understand what is in the national interest and what is not. He is stopping the endless wars and we will be stronger as a result.”
The chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Sen. Jim Risch (R-ID), tried to stake out some middle ground on Wednesday in his first statement yet on the Turkey matter. “Turkey’s aggressive actions raise serious concerns. Such an action lacks international support and risks a precipitous decline in the U.S.-Turkey relationship, as President Trump has robustly described,” he said, referencing Trump’s threats. “All parties should immediately de-escalate and return to border security discussions.”
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), who controls the floor, criticized the Syria withdrawal as a mistake in a statement on Monday, but stopped short of fully blaming Trump. Asked about McConnell’s support for a sanctions response, a spokesperson for the Senate leader told The Daily Beast he did not have anything to add.
Trump is poised to face widespread backlash from his own party in Congress on Syria if McConnell, or Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), moves to put new sanctions to a vote. Pelosi’s office did not respond to request for comment regarding her position on the issue.
It would not be the first time this year that Trump earns a bipartisan rebuke from Congress over sanctions: in January, 11 GOP senators voted with Democrats in hopes of overturning the administration’s decision to ease sanctions on Russia. The measure ultimately failed to get 60 votes.
Regardless of how Turkey sanctions develop, many from both parties worry that an enormous amount of harm has already been done through Trump’s decision—to the Kurds themselves, to the region’s stability, and to the international reputation of the U.S.
“The damage has been done,” said a GOP staffer. “What does it say about us and our future partnerships? How can we levelheadedly talk to other nations and say, we want to partner up with you?” https://www.thedailybeast.com/as-capito ... ref=scroll
Mazars and Deutsche Bank could have ended this nightmare before it started. They could still get him out of office. But instead, they want mass death. Don’t forget that.
Turkey’s Erdogan threatens to release millions of refugees into Europe over criticism of Syria offensive Natasha Turak Published 3 hours ago Updated an hour ago “We will open the gates and send 3.6 million refugees your way,” Erdogan says while speaking to officials from his ruling AK Party. A Turkish offensive in northern Syria has been underway since Wednesday, with airstrikes and artillery fire targeting U.S.-allied Kurdish forces on the ground. GP: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan TURKEY-SYRIA-POLITICS Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks during the extended meeting with provincial heads of ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party in Ankara, Turkey, on October 10, 2019. Adem Altan | AFP | Getty Images Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan threatened Europe with a flood of refugees on Thursday if the continent’s leaders call the Turkish invasion of Syria an “occupation.”
“We will open the gates and send 3.6 million refugees your way,” Erdogan said while speaking to officials from his ruling AK Party, according to Reuters.
A Turkish offensive in northern Syria has been underway since Wednesday, with airstrikes and artillery fire targeting U.S.-allied Kurdish forces on the ground.
The operation began just days after President Donald Trump made a surprise announcement withdrawing U.S. troops from a part of Syria that had been reclaimed in a bloody and drawn-out war between the U.S.-led coalition and the so-called Islamic State. Trump framed his decision as one that would hand the responsibility of containing IS to the Turks.
And late Wednesday, he defended his decision to allow the Turkish offensive by saying the Kurds did not help the U.S. during World War II.
Ground fighting since 2014 against the extremist group was spearheaded by Kurdish forces that made up the bulk of the Syrian Democratic Forces, a U.S.-backed organization now tasked with governance of the area and containment of resurgent IS fighters and overcrowded IS prisons. In particular instances, when asked for help in the anti-IS fight, Turkey refused to help the Kurdish forces, which it sees as allies to dissident Kurds in his country.
Erdogan has pledged to clear the area of “terrorists,” and says his aim is to allow a path for the return of Syrian refugees in Turkey to go back home. Numerous U.S. officials have cast doubt on that promise.
Ankara has long vowed to wipe out the Kurdish militia presence along its border in northern Syria, which it views as a security threat and indistinguishable from a separate Kurdish terrorist group that is waging a counterinsurgency inside Turkey.
The Turkish military confirmed Wednesday it had “launched the land operation into the east of the Euphrates River” and said it had hit more than 100 “militant targets.”
“The operation is currently continuing with the involvement of all our units. ... One-hundred-nine terrorists have been killed so far,” Erdogan said, without specifying whether this meant IS fighters or the Kurdish militia members Ankara also calls terrorists.
Activists on the ground say at least seven civilians have been killed. Video footage showed civilians trying to flee as dark plumes of smoke rose on the horizon.
European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker expressed concern on Wednesday over the offensive.
“Turkey has security concerns at its border with Syria, that we must understand. However, I call on Turkey, as well as other actors, to act with restraint,” Juncker told the EU Parliament.
A spokesperson for U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the British government had “grave concern,” and “we do not support the action” by Turkey. EU diplomats have warned of a fresh humanitarian crisis and a setback in the effort to counter and contain IS.
Turkey hosts the largest number of refugees in the world, with 3.6 million registered Syrian nationals in 2018 and 40,000 refugees and asylum-seekers of other nationalities, according to the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees. https://www.cnbc.com/2019/10/10/turkeys ... icism.html
Mazars and Deutsche Bank could have ended this nightmare before it started. They could still get him out of office. But instead, they want mass death. Don’t forget that.
Turkish offensive against the Kurds in Syria: live updates All the latest from the front lines as Turkish forces move in on north-eastern Syria
People wave as Turkish soldiers prepare to cross the border into Syria on October 09, 2019 in Akcakale, Turkey. Getty Images Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced the start of "Operation Peace Spring" on Wednesday, and soon after explosions were heard in the Syrian border town of Ras Al Ain.
Turkey aims to create a “safe zone” that would be cleared of Kurdish fighters, who Ankara considers to be terrorists and an extension of Kurdish rebels fighting inside Turkey, and eventually allow for the return of refugees.
NATO chief says Turkey must show restraint in Syria
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. AP
NATO expects Turkey to show restraint in its military operations in northern Syria, Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Thursday.
"I count on Turkey to show restraint and to ensure that their actions in northern Syria are measured and proportionate and avoid even more human suffering," Mr Stoltenberg told journalists after meeting Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis in Athens.
"We have to remember that we need to continue to stand together in our common fight against the common enemy, which is ISIS," Mr Stoltenberg said.
He said a global coalition had made "enormous progress" in the fight against the extremists, with swathes of territory the size of the United Kingdom being liberated from the group.
"We must make sure we preserve those gains," he said.
UN Secretary General rejects suggestion of peacekeeper deployment
Mr Guterres addresses a press conference in Copenhagen on Thursday. AFP
Speaking in Denmark, United Nations Secretary General António Guterres rebuffed the suggestion of a peacekeeping force being deployed. Asked if it could be organised on a European or by the UN, he said: “The problem of peacekeeping forces is, as the name indicates, you need to have peace to keep. "You cannot have a peacekeeping force where there is no peace to keep," he said, adding that "A peacekeeping force is always the result of a political agreement. And, of course, if there is a political agreement and there is a peace to keep, a peacekeeping force has an important role to play. We are not yet there, I believe, so, at the present moment, what we must do is to make sure that we have a de-escalation of the conflict in Syria. And, of course, I'm worried with eastern Syria, but I'm also worried with Idlib.”
Turkey says it would retaliate against any US sanctions
Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu warned on Thursday that Turkey would retaliate if the United States imposed sanctions over its military incursion into northeast Syria, which is targeting Kurdish fighters backed by Washington.
Ankara could face sanctions under proposals put forward by Republican Senator Lindsey Graham and a Democrat colleague, which would target President Erdogan and top officials.
Full statement on Turkey's military action in Syria from the EU6 group at the UN
Read the statement from France, Belgium, Estonia, Germany, Poland and the UK below:
“We are deeply concerned by the Turkish military operation in north-east Syria. We call upon Turkey to cease the unilateral military action as we do not believe it will address Turkey’s underlying security concerns. Renewed armed hostilities in the north-east will further undermine the stability of the whole region, exacerbate civilian suffering and provoke further displacements, which will further increase the number of refugees and IDPs in Syria and in the region.
Unilateral military action on Turkey’s part threatens the progress achieved by the Global Coalition against Da'esh. It will undermine the security of the Coalition’s local partners, including the Syrian Democratic Forces, and risks protracted instability in north-east Syria, providing fertile ground for the resurgence of Da’esh, which remains a significant threat to regional, international and European security. It is unlikely that a so-called ‘safe zone’ in north-east Syria, as envisaged by Turkey, would satisfy international criteria for refugee return as laid down by UNHCR. We maintain our position that refugee and IDP returns to their places of origin must be safe, voluntary and dignified when conditions allow. Any attempt at demographic change would be unacceptable. We want to be clear that the EU will not provide stabilisation or development assistance in areas where the rights of local populations are ignored.
Turkey is a key partner of the European Union, a NATO ally and a member in the Global Coalition against Da'esh. It is a critically important actor in the Syrian crisis and the region, and we recognise Turkey’s important role as a host country of Syrian refugees. We continue to urge all parties to ensure the protection of civilians and unhindered, safe and sustainable humanitarian access throughout Syria.
We remain committed to the unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria. We reaffirm that a sustainable solution to the Syrian conflict cannot be achieved militarily but only through a genuine political transition in line with UNSCR 2254 and the 2012 Geneva Communique, negotiated by the Syrian parties within the UN-led Geneva process. This process should not be undermined by any party.”
Turkish minister says France's Macron wants to divide Syria
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu on Thursday accused French President Emmanuel Macron of wanting to divide Syria, after France criticised Ankara's military operation against Kurdish fighters in northeastern Syria.
World powers, including Turkey's Western allies, fear its incursion into northeast Syria runs the risk of ISIS prisoners escaping from camps amid the chaos.
Mr Cavusoglu made the comments in an interview with broadcaster CNN Turk.
Turkish FM says offensive will not go beyond 30 km into Syria
Turkish minister Mevlut Cavusoglu. AP
Turkey's incursion will not go further than 30 km into northeast Syria, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Thursday, as Turkish forces pressed on against Kurdish fighters in the second day of the operation.
Speaking to broadcaster CNN Turk, Mr Cavusoglu said that the security threat which Turkey says it faces from the presence of Kurdish fighters on its border would be eliminated if the area was cleared of militants.
"When we go 30 km deep in the safe zone, terror there will be removed," he said.
Mr Cavusoglu also said Turkey had the right to use air space over Syria as part of its campaign. "We have the right to use that air space," he said. "That air space does not belong to the United States. It has no right to control that air space."
European nations at the UN say Turkey's incursion intends to create 'demographic change'
In a strongly worded joint statement, the EU6 group at the United Nations (Germany, Belgium, France, Poland, United Kingdom and Estonia) suggest Turkey’s military option is designed at ensuring “demographic change”, The National's Chief Diplomatic Correspondent Arthur MacMillan reports. The European group says: “It is unlikely that a so-called ‘safe zone’ in north-east Syria, as envisaged by Turkey, would satisfy international criteria for refugee return as laid down by UNHCR. We maintain our position that refugee and IDP returns to their places of origin must be safe, voluntary and dignified when conditions allow. Any attempt at demographic change would be unacceptable. We want to be clear that the EU will not provide stabilisation or development assistance in areas where the rights of local populations are ignored.” A reminder of who's who
A fighter of the Self-Defense Forces keeps watch towards the Turkish border. EPA
The north-east, inhabited by Arabs and Kurds, is Syria’s major oil reservoir and accounts for most of the wheat produced in the country. It is dependent on the Euphrates River for agriculture.
It also has several competing military and political factions who are likely to feature heavily in news coverage in the coming days. Khaled Yacoub Oweis has a handy guide to the area's key players.
UN humanitarian co-ordinator in Turkey
Mark Lowcock, the UN's humanitarian aid co-ordinator, is in Ankara on a two-day trip planned before Turkey began its offensive, reports Arthur Macmillan. Although he was to discuss cross-border aid operations from Turkey into Syria, a spokesman for UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said Mr Lowcock was: "Very concerned about the impact of military operations." Mr Lowcock is to be in the border town of Gaziantep on Friday. "We have humanitarian personnel where we believe people may be fleeing for safety," said UN spokesman Farhan Haq, noting that staff were not directly in the line of fire of Turkish military operations.
BREAKING: Norway suspends arms exports to Turkey
ShareLikes0 theyman 4 hours ago US to hand over ISIS members evacuated from Syria to Iraq
The US will hand over to Iraqi authorities nearly 50 Islamic State members who were transferred from Syria in recent days, two Iraqi intelligence officials said Thursday.
The officials said the IS members were expected to be handed over by Friday. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to brief the media.
The Syrian Democratic Forces are still holding more than 10,000 ISIS members. Those include some 2,000 foreigners, including about 800 Europeans.
President Donald Trump said Wednesday that some of the “most dangerous” ISIS members had been moved, but he provided no details.
ShareLikes0 theyman 4 hours ago Turkish border towns bombed
People run to take cover after mortars fired from Syria, in Akcakale, Turkey. AP At least two government buildings were hit by mortars in Sanliurfa province's border town of Akcakale and at least two people were wounded. ShareLikes0 theyman 5 hours ago SDF again ask for US no-fly zone
Turkish jet taxis on tarmac after returning to a military base in southeast Diyarbakir. Reuters
The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) reiterated an appeal to the United States and its allies on Wednesday for a "no fly zone" to protect it from Turkish attacks in northeast Syria. "The SDF showed good faith to the security mechanism agreement between the U.S. and Turkey. This left our people defenceless," it said early on Wednesday, restating the request again on Wednesday evening.
ShareLikes0 jyoung 5 hours ago Nine-month-old baby killed by mortar fire in Turkey: Turkish officials
Turkish officials say a nine-month-old baby and a Turkish civil servant have been killed after mortars were fired from Kurdish-held northern Syria into Turkish border towns.
The governor’s office of Sanliurfa province said in a statement the baby was of Syrian nationality. It said 46 people were wounded in the rocket and mortar attacks.
At least five Turkish border towns have been hit by dozens of mortars since Wednesday.
Turkey has pointed to past cross-border mortar attacks by Syrian Kurdish militants as a threat to its national security.
ShareLikes0 theyman 5 hours ago The National explains why Turkey has made an incursion into Syria
Bosnia says fighting has delayed deportation of ISIS detainees
Bosnia says renewed fighting in Syria has delayed the deportation to the Balkan country of a group of its citizens who were captured while fighting for ISIS.
Security Minister Dragan Mektic says the first group was due to arrive Thursday but that this has been postponed “because of the events of the past 24 hours and new circumstances in Syria.” He gave no other details.
Dozens of Bosnia’s Muslims have joined ISIS in Syria and Iraq during the war. Bosnian media say nine captives from Bosnia will be sent back to face legal proceedings.
ShareLikes0 theyman 6 hours ago Germany calls on Turkey to cease operation
Ambassador Jurgen Schulz, Germany's deputy permanent representative to the UN, said Turkey should end its offensive as it was jeopardising international security, The National's Chief Diplomatic Correspondent Arthur MacMillan reports. "We fear that this operation runs the risk of further destabilising the entire region and also re-strengthening Islamic State," he told reporters in New York. "Syria has been severely impacted by this terrible war for eight years and we are now on the verge of starting a political process with the constitutional committee - this is what we need, however the Turkish operation now threatens to unleash another humanitarian catastrophe as well as new refugee movements. "We therefore call on Turkey to cease its operation and to pursue its security interests in a peaceful manner. This has also been underlined today by the German foreign minister in a telephone conversation with his Turkish counterpart." ShareLikes0 theyman 6 hours ago Aid agencies warn of escalating crisis
A group of 14 international aid agencies are warning of an escalating humanitarian crisis in northeast Syria.
They say “civilians (are) at risk as violence escalates and humanitarian work is suspended.”
Thursday’s statement co-signed by the organisations — including Doctors Without Borders, Oxfam and the Norwegian Refugee Council — said an estimated 450,000 people live within 5 kilometres of the Syria’s border with Turkey “and are at risk if all sides do not exercise maximum restraint and prioritize the protection of civilians.”
It added there already are more than 90,000 internally displaced people in the region, and tens of thousands of fighters with families held in camps and detention centers.
The aid agencies also are urging parties to the conflict to respect International Humanitarian Law and refrain from using explosive weapons in populated areas.
ShareLikes0 theyman 6 hours ago Trump says he’s talking to 'both sides'
Smoke rises over the Syrian town of Ras Al Ain. Getty Images
US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he was talking to "both sides" as Turkey pressed its offensive against US-allied Kurds in Syria, and warned Ankara that it would be hit hard financially if it did not "play by the rules." "I am trying to end the ENDLESS WARS. Talking to both sides," he said on Twitter. "I say hit Turkey very hard financially & with sanctions if they don’t play by the rules! I am watching closely."
ShareLikes0 jyoung 6 hours ago BREAKING: Three people including a child killed in mortar fire from Syria to Turkish border town of Akcakale say hospital and security sources
ShareLikes0 jyoung 6 hours ago Here's how the SDF wrestled territory off ISIS since 2015
ShareLikes0 theyman 7 hours ago UN's Filippo Grandi warns parties to avoid civilians
AP
UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi said "There are hundreds of thousands of civilians in northern Syria who are vulnerable. Civilians and civilian infrastructure should not be targeted." ShareLikes0 theyman 7 hours ago Protests at UN office in Erbil
ShareLikes0 theyman 8 hours ago Italy joins other nations in calling for halt to Turkish offensive
ShareLikes0 theyman 8 hours ago SDF forces guarding Al Hol camp will travel to the north-east to defend Kurdish territory: spokesman
ShareLikes0 theyman 9 hours ago UN Security Council and Arab League to hold meetings on the incursion
The United Nations Security Council will meet today to discuss Syria at the request of the five European members, Britain, France, Germany, Belgium and Poland.
In a letter to the 15-member Council seen by Reuters, Turkey said its military operation would be "proportionate, measured and responsible".
The 22-member Arab League said it would hold an emergency meeting on Saturday.
ShareLikes0 theyman 9 hours ago 109 'terrorists killed' in offensive, says Erdogan
Turkish President Erdogan says 109 ‘terrorists' have been killed since Ankara launched an offensive into Syria yesterday. His figure are wildly different from those of the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. SOHR said at least 19 Kurdish militants were killed since the assault began and 38 wounded. Turkish state media is reporting two Syrian villages across border are ‘cleared of terror,’ referring to Syrian Kurdish fighters. ShareLikes0 theyman 9 hours ago Erdogan threatens to send Syrian refugees to Europe
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan is seen with Defence Minister Hulusi Akar at the operation center in Ankara. Reuters
Turkey's Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he will open doors to send Syrian refugees to Europe if it defines his country's incursion into Syria as an occupation. "We will open the gates and send 3.6 million refugees your way," Mr Erdogan said in speech to lawmakers from his AK Party. The EU has had a deal in place with Mr Erdogan since 2016 in which Turkey agreed to take back migrants who reached Greece. His comments came just an hour after the EU parliament hosted Kurdish representatives. The European Union also stated Turkey must adhere to EU foreign policy if it wants to join the EU in future, the bloc's executive Commission said on Thursday."Joining the European Union requires all candidates to align themselves with the European Union foreign policy ... in that context if Turkey is serious about its ambitions [to join the bloc], that is the path it must follow," a Commission spokeswoman told a news briefing. Turkey is an EU candidate country.
Finland suspends arms supplies to Turkey
Finland has suspended arms sales to Turkey in light of its actions in north-east Syria, its Defence Minister Antti Kaikkonen has said. The suspension comes just three weeks after the countries agreed a deal on drones sales.
“Turkey's actions aggravate the already complex crisis in Syria. We are very concerned about the impacts of the measures on the humanitarian situation in Syria. Hostilities in the region may provoke further displacements. It is important to prepare for this at EU level, too,” Prime Minister Antti Rinne said. ShareLikes0 theyman 10 hours ago Syrian Kurdish official: Turkish attack weakens ability to guard ISIS detainees
A top Syrian Kurdish official said on Thursday that Turkish attacks weaken the ability of security forces in northeast Syria to guard prisons holding Islamic State detainees. Badran Jia Kurd said that this may lead to the escape of militants and that the number of prison guards is reduced as fighting with Turkey intensifies. This comes after Kurdish authorities accused Turkey of shelling a prison holding ISIS militants from more than 60 nationalities that it said was “a clear attempt to help them escape.” Turkey has not commented on the claims. ShareLikes0 jyoung 10 hours ago Activists take the fight online with #RiseUp4Rojava
Activists on the Kurdish side are attending protests around the world today and planning further protests over the weekend. They are uniting the cause online with a hashtag: #RiseUp4Rojava - here's a flavour of some of those tweets
NoBorders @Refugees_Gr Mural of solidarity for all people from Rojava who are in the process of creating a better world.
Located in community center Rojc, Pula, Croatia.#riseup4Rojava
Polite BastART View image on Twitter
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Scottish Young Greens @scotyounggreens As The US turns its back on the defeaters of ISIS, and as The UK's NATO ally, Turkey, drops bombs on civilians, we stand unwaveringly in solidarity with the people of Kurdistan. #RiseUp4Rojava #DefendRojava
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Riseup4Rojava @RISEUP4R0JAVA In #Barcelona airport, @TurkishAirlines are blocked.#Erdogan's dirty regime is earning millions each year with tourism. Let's bring them down!#riseup4rojava #Syria #Rojava #ISIS View image on TwitterView image on Twitter
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ShareLikes0 theyman edited by rmurray 10 hours ago Russia will ask for dialogue between Syrian government and Turkey
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said that Ankara and Damascus should discuss the issue of Kurdish forces in northeastern Syria directly, calling Turkey's cross-border assault a product of US policies.
"We will strive for the necessity of dialogue between Turkey and Syria," he said, adding that resolving the issue in the past was "made difficult by the actions of the Americans and the coalition."
ShareLikes0 theyman 10 hours ago Protests at British arms dealer BAE over Turkey
Elif Sarican @elifxeyal Arms dealer shut down at BAE Filton! A four person lock on is blocking the entrance to multiple businesses who trade with the Turkish state right now. People showing that business as usual is not ok when UK kit is being used to bomb the people of N.E Syria!#RiseUp4Rojava View image on TwitterView image on TwitterView image on TwitterView image on Twitter
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Protesters are blockading the Bristol offices of UK arms firm BAE Systems for selling arms to Turkey. This isn't the first time the firm has been demonstrated against for the Kurdish cause. After the death of Briton Anna Campbell, who was killed in a bombing on the Kurdish town of Afrin, in March, her friends and family teamed up with the Bristol Kurdish Solidarity Network to picket the company. Ms Campbell was a member of the YPJ, an all-female Kurdish fighting group. ShareLikes0 theyman 11 hours ago Syrian Kurdish leader Ilham Ahmed is in Brussels
Wladimir @vvanwilgenburg Press conference starts in Brussels with Ilham Ahmed View image on Twitter
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Ms Ahmed is addressing a press conference with members of the European Parliament in an attempt to garner EU support in halting Turkey's attack. She is calling for the institution of a no-fly zone above north-east Syria and for EU nations to withdraw diplomaic representatives from Ankara. Riyad Derrar from the Syrian Democratic Council warns ISIS detainees under their watch in their jails are extrememly dangerous and could capitalise on the conflict for their own ends. ShareLikes0 theyman 11 hours ago Turkey shelled prison holding ISIS foreign fighters, says Kurdish-led administration
The prison was photographed by Associated Press in April. AP
The Syrian Kurdish-led authorities accused Turkey of shelling a prison holding ISIS militants of more than 60 nationalities, calling this "a clear attempt" to help them escape.
There was no immediate comment from Turkey.
The shelling on Wednesday night targeted part of Chirkin prison in the city of Qamishli, the Kurdish-led authorities said in a statement.
"These attacks on prisons holding Daesh (ISIS) terrorists will lead to a catastrophe the consequences of which the world may not be able to handle later on," the statement said.
The statement did not give further detail.
ShareLikes0 theyman edited by IOxborrow 11 hours ago Breaking: Kurdish-led SDF official says heavy clashes continue in Syrian villages that Turkish forces are trying to enter
ShareLikes0 jyoung 11 hours ago Latest from the front
Turkey-backed Syrian opposition fighters enter Tel Abyad from Turkish gate towards Syria in Akcakale in Sanliurfa province on October 10, 2019. AFP
Turkish commandos pushed deeper into Syrian territory east of the Euphrates river on the second day of an offensive against Kurdish militias, as a withdrawal by US forces opened up a dangerous new phase in the region's eight-year-old conflict.
Ashamed of Washington's role in making way for the Turkish incursion, senior members of US President Donald Trump's own Republican Party condemned him for abandoning Syrian Kurds, who have been loyal allies of Washington in the fight against ISIS in Syria.
NATO-ally Turkey has said it intends to create a "safe zone" in order to return millions of refugees to Syria. But world powers fear the Turkish action could exacerbate the conflict, and run the risk of ISIS prisoners escaping from camps amid the chaos.
"Our heroic commandos taking part in Operation Peace Spring are continuing to advance east of the Euphrates," the Defence Ministry wrote on Twitter on Thursday, posting a video showing soldiers firing rifles in darkness as they advanced.
T.C. Millî Savunma Bakanlığı ✔ @tcsavunma Barış Pınarı Harekâtına katılan Kahraman Komandolarımız, Fırat’ın Doğusunda ilerlemeye devam ediyor. #MSB #TSK #BarışPınarıHarekatı Embedded video
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A witness in the Turkish town of Akcakale said volleys of rockets were fired from there across the border into Syria's Tel Abyad. Smoke rose from two targets hit on the Syrian side of the border, he said.
By mid-day on Tuesday, Turkish baked Syrian opposition fighters were photographed driving triumphantly into Tal Abyad cheering and waving free Syrian flags.
But Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) spokesman Mustafa Bali said on Twitter that the group's fighters had repelled a ground attack by Turkish troops in Tel Abyad.
Akcakale has been quiet for much of the morning after sporadic gunfire and the sound of tank movement were heard in the early hours. Explosions had rocked Tel Abyad earlier in the night.
Turkish forces shelled targets near Ral Al Ain on Thursday morning, and Kurdish-led SDF fighters responded, another witness said.
The Turkish military has hit 181 targets of the Kurdish militia with its air force and artillery since the start of operation into northeast Syria, the ministry said.
One of the prisons where ISIS detainees are held was struck by a Turkish air strike, the SDF said on Twitter.
ShareLikes0 jyoung 12 hours ago Turkey says it is making progress
Smokes rises from the Syrian town of Tal Abyad after Turkish bombings. AFP
Turkish ground forces pressed their advance against Kurdish fighters in northern Syria, Turkey’s Defense Ministry said, launching airstrikes and unleashing artillery shelling on Syrian towns and villages the length of its border. A Kurdish-led group and Syrian activists claimed Thursday that despite the heavy barrage, Turkish troops had not made much progress on several fronts they had opened over the past hours. But their claims could not be independently verified and the situation on the ground was difficult to assess. Turkey began its offensive in northern Syria on Wednesday against Kurdish fighters with airstrikes and artillery shelling, before ground troops began crossing the border later in the day. US troops pulled back from the area, paving the way for Turkey’s assault on Syrian Kurdish forces. Turkey has long threatened to attack the Kurdish fighters whom Ankara considers terrorists allied with a Kurdish insurgency in Turkey. The Turkish Defense Ministry statement did not provide further details on the offensive but shared a brief video of commandos in action. The ministry said Turkish jets and artillery had struck 181 targets east of the Euphrates River in Syria since the incursion started. Mustafa Bali, a spokesman for the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, said their fighters have repelled Turkish forces ground attacks. “No advance as of now,” he tweeted Thursday. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a war monitor that has activists throughout the country, said Turkish troops tried to push ahead on several fronts under the cover of airstrikes and artillery shelling but made no tangible progress. The Observatory said that since Turkey began its operation, seven civilians have been killed.
ShareLikes0 theyman 12 hours ago Turkey says seized designated targets in Syrian offensive
The first group of Turkish infantry prepare to enter Syria on the border between Turkey and Syria on October 09, 2019 in Akcakale, Turkey. Getty Images
Turkish forces carrying out a military offensive into northeast Syria have seized designated targets and their operation is continuing successfully as planned, the Turkish Defence Ministry said on Thursday. It said on Twitter that the operation, targeting a Kurdish militia which Ankara designates a terrorist group, continued throughout the night by land and air. The offensive began on Wednesday after the United States removed some of its troops from the area. Kurdish forces, however, say they have repelled ground forces in several areas.
ShareLikes0 jyoung 12 hours ago Who has influence in Syria's north-east?
An SDF fighter stands guard inside a post where US troops were based, in Tal Abyad. AP
The north-east, inhabited by Arabs and Kurds, is Syria’s major oil reservoir and accounts for most of the wheat produced in the country. It is dependent on the Euphrates River for agriculture.
It also has several competing military and political factions who are likely to feature heavily in news coverage in the coming days. Khaled Yacoub Oweis has a handy guide to the area's key players.
ShareLikes0 theyman 12 hours ago Thousands displaced less than 24 hours into Turkey's operation
AFP
"Thousands have fled the Ras al-Ain area ... and Tal Abyad's countryside," to areas that have not yet been hit by Ankara's warplanes, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
The north-east's newly-displaced people will add to the 6.6 million internally displaced people in Syria, worsening one of the biggest humanitarian and refugee crises ever. ShareLikes0 theyman 12 hours ago Turkey starts probing social media posts against Syria incursion
The Turkish police force started to crack down on social media content that it says went against the country’s military operation in Syria and launched legal action against 78 people. It wasn’t immediately clear if anyone has been detained. The posts represented incitement to “hatred,” the national police force said on its website late Wednesday, and accused the posters of engaging in “propaganda of a terrorist organisation.” The charges carry years in prison if upheld by a court.
ShareLikes0 theyman 12 hours ago US takes custody of two members of the ISIS 'Beatles' from Kurds
Donald J. Trump ✔ @realDonaldTrump In case the Kurds or Turkey lose control, the United States has already taken the 2 ISIS militants tied to beheadings in Syria, known as the Beetles, out of that country and into a secure location controlled by the U.S. They are the worst of the worst!
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Two notorious Islamic State members dubbed "The Beatles" who were held by Syrian Kurds are now in US custody and have been moved out of the country, President Donald Trump has tweeted. The pair were part of an extremely violent all-British four-man cell that kidnapped and tortured foreigners, including journalists, at the height of the Islamic State group's power in Syria and Iraq. A US defense official had earlier confirmed they had taken custody of two "high-value" ISIS individuals from the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) that held the captured jihadists. "They have been moved out of Syria and are in a secure location," the official said, without identifying where. "They are being held in military custody pursuant to the law of war." One other member of the four-man jihadist cell was killed in a drone strike and the fourth is imprisoned on terror charges in Turkey. Their cell is accused of abducting and decapitating around 20 hostages including American journalist James Foley, who was beheaded in 2014.
US takes custody of two members of the ISIS 'Beatles' from Kurds
Donald J. Trump ✔ @realDonaldTrump In case the Kurds or Turkey lose control, the United States has already taken the 2 ISIS militants tied to beheadings in Syria, known as the Beetles, out of that country and into a secure location controlled by the U.S. They are the worst of the worst!
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Two notorious Islamic State members dubbed "The Beatles" who were held by Syrian Kurds are now in US custody and have been moved out of the country, President Donald Trump has tweeted. The pair were part of an extremely violent all-British four-man cell that kidnapped and tortured foreigners, including journalists, at the height of the Islamic State group's power in Syria and Iraq. A US defense official had earlier confirmed they had taken custody of two "high-value" ISIS individuals from the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) that held the captured jihadists. "They have been moved out of Syria and are in a secure location," the official said, without identifying where. "They are being held in military custody pursuant to the law of war." One other member of the four-man jihadist cell was killed in a drone strike and the fourth is imprisoned on terror charges in Turkey. Their cell is accused of abducting and decapitating around 20 hostages including American journalist James Foley, who was beheaded in 2014. ShareLikes0 theyman 14 hours ago Map of the area of offensive
The National
ShareLikes0 jyoung edited by theyman 14 hours ago Civilians fleeing near Ras Al Ain
CNN’s Clarissa Ward is on the ground in northeastern Syria speaking with civilians fleeing the Turkish offensive.
Clarissa Ward ✔ @clarissaward Outside #Kurdish town of #RasAlAin after Turkish strikes earlier- please watch https://twitter.com/cnn/status/1182036629281804288 … CNN ✔ @CNN Fleeing civilians tell CNN they don't know where to go
CNN's @clarissaward speaks to civilians who are attempting to escape the chaos in Syria. https://cnn.it/3135wFs Embedded video
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ShareLikes0 jyoung edited by theyman 14 hours ago UAE's Anwar Gargash joins Arab condemnation of Turkish offensive
“The broad Arab condemnation of the Turkish aggression against Syria is not surprising,” the minister tweeted. “…the international position rejecting the Turkish aggression stems from the foundations of international law and a common realization that this step will complicate the already complicated scene.”
د. أنور قرقاش ✔ @AnwarGargash الادانات العربية الواسعة للعدوان التركي على سوريا ليست بالمستغربة، فالحد الأدنى للعمل العربي المشترك رفض العدوان على الفضاء العربي، وبالمقابل فالموقف الدولي الرافض للعدوان التركي ينبع من أسس القانون الدولي وإدراك مشترك بأن هذه الخطوة ستعقد المشهد المعقد أصلا.
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Read more on how the Arab world reacted to Turkey's move here. ShareLikes0 jyoung edited by theyman 14 hours ago Why is Turkey invading northern Syria?
The National's Foreign Editor, James Haines-Young, explains all in this week's episode of Beyond the Headlines. He speaks to Kareem Shaheen, a journalist who has covered the Syrian war since its early days and regular contributor to The National, and Michael Weiss, a columnist for The Daily Beast and co-author of ISIS: Inside the Army of Terror, about the implications of Erdogan's move. You can listen to the podcast here ShareLikes0 IOxborrow 14 hours ago World reaction to the offensive
World governments reacted with concern on Wednesday. The UN Security Council plans to hold an emergency meeting to discuss the assault, which Ankara named Operation Peace Spring. Nato chief Jens Stoltenberg urged Turkey to show restraint, while acknowledging that Ankara had "legitimate security concerns". "It's important to avoid actions that may further destabilise the region, escalate tensions and cause more human suffering," Mr Stoltenberg said in Rome.
US President Donald Trump on Wednesday called the incursion into northern Syria a "bad idea". Mr Trump insisted Washington "does not endorse this attack", despite having withdrawn US troops from the area in what was interpreted as approval for Turkey to assault its chief allies in the war against ISIS. https://www.thenational.ae/world/mena/t ... s-1.921566
UAE's Gargash joins Arab world in condemning Turkey offensive in Syria Nato, the UN and European countries condemn the incursion into Syrian territory
A convoy of Turkish forces vehicles moves through the town of Akcakale, Sanliurfa province, southeastern Turkey, at the border between Turkey and Syria. AP Photo UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Dr Anwar Gargash has joined the almost unanimous condemnation from across the Arab world of Turkey as it launched an offensive in Syria on Wednesday evening.
“The broad Arab condemnation of the Turkish aggression against Syria is not surprising,” the minister tweeted. “…the international position rejecting the Turkish aggression stems from the foundations of international law and a common realization that this step will complicate the already complicated scene.”
State-run Wam news agency ran a statement from the UAE foreign ministry describing the Turkish offensive as “a dangerous development and a blatant and unacceptable aggression against the sovereignty of an Arab state in contravention of the rules of international law.”
From across the Gulf region, almost all governments echoed Dr Gargash’s comments, with Saudi state TV saying the government was concerned at the developments and condemned the offensive.
Kuwait called the offensive a direct threat to stability and peace in the region and called for restraint while Bahrain called for an emergency meeting of the Arab League in order to find a unified regional position on the aggression as Manama condemned the fighting.
Egypt too called for an Arab League meeting and the body announced shortly after that there would be an emergency summit on Saturday to discuss the Turkish offensive.
Egypt's foreign ministry, in a statement on Wednesday, "condemned in the strongest terms the Turkish aggression on Syrian territory," saying the offensive "represents a blatant and unacceptable attack on the sovereignty of a brotherly Arab state."
Egypt's President Abdel Fattah El Sisi discussed the Turkish offensive with his Iraqi counterpart Barham Salih in a phone call on Wednesday evening, Egyptian presidency spokesman Bassam Rady said, according to state-run Akhbar Elyom.
"The Turkish aggression ... represents a dangerous development that threatens international peace and security and exacerbates the crisis situation in the region," Mr Rady said.
The Arab League, which groups 22 states including Egypt, Iraq and Saudi Arabia, said in a statement on Wednesday that Saturday's meeting would be at the ministerial level "to discuss the Turkish aggression" on Syrian territory.
"It constitutes an unacceptable attack on the sovereignty of an Arab member state of the League," Arab League Assistant Secretary-General Hossam Zaki said.
World governments also reacted with concern on Wednesday after Turkey launched the military offensive on Kurdish forces in northern Syria.
And the UN Security Council plans to hold an emergency meeting to discuss the assault, which Ankara named Operation Peace Spring.
Nato chief Jens Stoltenberg urged Turkey to show restraint, while acknowledging that Ankara had "legitimate security concerns".
"It's important to avoid actions that may further destabilise the region, escalate tensions and cause more human suffering," Mr Stoltenberg said in Rome.
The UN Security Council's president, South African ambassador Jerry Matthews Matjila, also appealed to Turkey to protect civilians and exercise "maximum restraint".
US President Donald Trump on Wednesday called the incursion into northern Syria a "bad idea".
Mr Trump insisted Washington "does not endorse this attack", despite having withdrawn US troops from the area in what was interpreted as approval for Turkey to assault its chief allies in the war against ISIS.
This week, he said he would "obliterate" Turkey's economy if Ankara went too far.
The US and the UK also expressed concern over the risk of a humanitarian catastrophe in the region.
Ina phone call before the launch of the offensive, Russian President Vladimir Putin urged Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan to "think carefully" before taking any action, "so as not to harm overall efforts to resolve the Syrian crisis".
Mr Erdogan told Mr Putin that the offensive "will contribute to Syria's peace and stability and ease the path to a political solution".
European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker demanded a halt to the operation, telling Ankara the bloc would not pay for any "safe zone" that might be created.
Mr Juncker told the European Parliament that he recognised Turkey had "security concerns" along the border.
But he warned that the military action would not lead to a "good result", saying a political solution was the only way to end the Syrian conflict.
German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said: "Turkey is willingly risking further destabilising the region and a resurgence of ISIS.
Turkey's operation in Syria. Turkey's operation in Syria. "Syria needs stability and a political process. However, the Turkish offensive now threatens to cause a new humanitarian disaster."
Mr Maas said that Berlin would "urge Turkey to end its offensive and to pursue its security interests peacefully".
French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said the offensive "must stop".
"It calls into question the security and humanitarian efforts of the coalition against Daesh and risks undermining Europeans' security," Mr Le Drian said in a tweet.
French European Affairs Minister Amelie de Montchalin earlier said France, Germany and Britain were working on a joint declaration that "will be extremely clear on the fact that we very strongly condemn" the Turkish campaign.
British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab expressed "serious concerns about the military action that Turkey has taken".
READ MORE
Why Turkey is invading northern Syria
Who has influence in Syria's north-east?
WATCH: Turkish military operations begin in Syria
It "risks destabilising the region, exacerbating humanitarian suffering, and undermining the progress made against Daesh, which should be our collective focus", Mr Raab said.
Dutch Foreign Minister Stef Blok said he had summoned Turkey's ambassador to condemn the assault.
"I call on Turkey not to follow the path it has chosen," Mr Blok, whose country is a member of the coalition against ISIS, said on Twitter.
"No one can benefit from the potentially terrible humanitarian consequences. The operation can trigger new refugee flows and harm the fight against ISIS and stability in the region."
The International Committee of the Red Cross said it was "deeply concerned that any escalation in the country's north-east could harm an already struggling population'.
It said that "the humanitarian space" needed to be preserved.
Mazars and Deutsche Bank could have ended this nightmare before it started. They could still get him out of office. But instead, they want mass death. Don’t forget that.
'Border on fire' as Turkey intensifies Syria campaign ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Turkey stepped up its air and artillery strikes on Kurdish militia in northeast Syria on Friday, escalating an offensive that has drawn warnings of humanitarian catastrophe and turned Republican lawmakers against U.S. President Donald Trump.
The incursion, launched after Trump withdrew U.S. troops who had been fighting alongside Kurdish forces against Islamic State militants, has opened a new front in the eight-year-old Syrian civil war and drawn fierce international criticism.
In Washington, Trump - fending off accusations that he abandoned the Kurds, loyal allies of the United States - suggested that Washington could mediate in the conflict, while also raising the possibility of imposing sanctions on Turkey.
On Friday, Turkish warplanes and artillery struck around Syria’s Ras al Ain, one of two border towns that have been the focus of the offensive. Reuters journalists heard gunfire there from across the frontier in the Turkish town of Ceylanpinar.
A convoy of 20 armored vehicles carrying Turkish-allied Syrian rebels entered Syria from Ceylanpinar. Some made victory signs, shouting “Allahu akbar” (God is greatest) and waving Syrian rebel flags as they advanced towards Ras al Ain.
Some 120 km (75 miles) to the west, Turkish howitzers resumed shelling near the Syrian town of Tel Abyad, a witness said.
“In these moments, Tel Abyad is seeing the most intense battles in three days,” Marvan Qamishlo, a spokesman for the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) said.
Overnight, clashes erupted at different points along the border from Ain Diwar at the Iraqi frontier to Kobani, more than 400 km to the west. Turkish and SDF forces exchanged shelling in Qamishli among other places, the SDF’s Qamishlo said.
“The whole border was on fire,” he said.
Turkish forces have seized nine villages near Ras al Ain and Tel Abyad, said Rami Abdulrahman, director of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors the war.
At least 32 fighters with the SDF and 34 Turkey-backed Syrian rebels have been killed in fighting, while 10 civilians have been killed, Abdulrahman said. The SDF said 22 of its fighters were killed on Wednesday and Thursday.
Turkey says it has killed hundreds of SDF fighters in the operation and one Turkish soldier has been killed.
In Syria’s al Bab, some 150 km west of the offensive, some 500 Turkish-backed Syrian fighters were set to head to Turkey to join the operation, CNN Turk reported. It broadcast video of them performing Muslim prayers in military fatigues, their rifles laid down in front of them, before departing for Turkey.
Members of Syrian National Army, known as Free Syrian Army, drive in an armored vehicle in the Turkish border town of Ceylanpinar in Sanliurfa province, Turkey, October 11, 2019. REUTERS/Murad Sezer “HUMANITARIAN CATASTROPHE”
Turkey says the purpose of its assault is to defeat the Kurdish YPG militia, which it sees as an enemy for its links to insurgents in Turkey. It says it aims to set up a “safe zone” inside Syria, where it can resettle many of the 3.6 million refugees it has been hosting.
Turkey’s President Tayyip Erdogan criticized Europe for failing to support the Turkish offensive and threatened to send refugees to Europe if the EU did not back him.
European Council President Donald Tusk responded on Friday by chastising Erdogan for making the threat.
“Turkey must understand that our main concern is that their actions may lead to another humanitarian catastrophe,” he said.
The International Rescue Committee aid group says 64,000 people in Syria have fled in the first days of the campaign.
The Kurdish YPG is the main fighting element of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) which have acted as the principal allies of the United States in a campaign that recaptured territory held by the Islamic State group.
The SDF now holds most of the territory that once made up Islamic State’s “caliphate” in Syria, and has been keeping thousands of Islamic State fighters in jail and tens of thousands of their family members in camps.
A camp sheltering more than 7,000 displaced people in northern Syria is to be evacuated and there are talks on moving a second camp for 13,000 people including Islamic State fighters’ families, after both were shelled, Kurdish-led authorities said.
Medecins Sans Frontieres said a hospital in Tel Abyad had been forced to shut after most of its staff fled from bombings over the past 24 hours.
RARE REPUBLICAN CRITICISM OF TRUMP
In the United States, Trump’s decision to withhold protection from the Kurds has been one of the few issues to prompt criticism from his fellow Republicans, including leading allies on Capitol Hill such as Senator Lindsey Graham.
Trump said in a Twitter post on Thursday: “We have one of three choices: Send in thousands of troops and win Militarily, hit Turkey very hard Financially and with Sanctions, or mediate a deal between Turkey and the Kurds!”.
“I hope we can mediate,” Trump said when asked about the options by reporters at the White House.
Without elaborating, he said the United States was “going to possibly do something very, very tough with respect to sanctions and other financial things” against Turkey.
Western countries’ rejection of the Turkish offensive creates a rift within the NATO alliance, in which Turkey is the main Muslim member.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said after talks with Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu in Istanbul that he expected Turkey to act with restraint in Syria. Cavusoglu said Ankara expected “strong solidarity” from the alliance.
Stoltenberg also told reporters the international community must find a sustainable solution for Islamic State prisoners in Syria.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian has called for an emergency meeting of the U.S.-led coalition of more than 30 countries created to fight Islamic State. France’s European affairs minister said next week’s EU summit will discuss sanctions on Turkey over its action in Syria.
Russian President Vladimir Putin warned that Islamic State militants could escape from jail as a result of the Turkish offensive, the Interfax news agency reported.
Reporting by Daren Butler and Tom Perry; Additional reporting by John Irish in Paris, Emma Farge in Geneva, Anton Kolodyazhnyy in Moscow, Jan Strupczewski in Brussels and Reuters correspondents in the region; Editing by Peter Graff https://www.reuters.com/article/us-syri ... SKBN1WQ0O2
11TH HOUR ALLY WWII Lesson for Trump: Turkey Was in Bed With the Nazis While Trump rips the Kurds because "they didn't help us with Normandy,” he doesn't know or care about the active damage the Turks were doing to the Allies.
Michael Daly Special Correspondent Updated 10.10.19 9:50PM ET Published 10.10.19 4:42PM ET OPINION The Nazis melted gold dental fillings from concentration camp victims and found the best price for it was in neutral Turkey.
At the same time, Turkey kept selling Germany the chromium ore it needed to build weapons and continue the war.
But in harkening back to World War II in an effort to justify giving Turkey a green light to crush the Kurds, President Donald Trump ignored such damning truths.
He instead said of the Kurds, “They didn't help us with Normandy.”
Never mind that present day Kurds have suffered thousands of casualties as our most effective allies against ISIS.
SHORT-SIGHTED Trump’s Crazy Syria Move Sets Up ISIS Comeback
Michael Weiss
Never mind that the Kurds of 1944 were scattered across a half dozen countries in the Middle East and were in no position to help even themselves.
And never mind that Turkey started out World War II pledged to support the Allies only to suddenly switch when it looked like the Nazis would win.
“Turkey began World War II bound to Britain and France by the military alliance of October 1939, moved to non-belligerency in June 1940 after the fall of France, and adopted a policy of ‘active neutrality’ in the spring of 1941 after German occupation of the Balkans and the conclusion of a German-Turkish Treaty of Friendship in June 1941,” notes a 1998 report on Holocaust restitution by the House Committee on Banking and Financial Services.
The report cites a November 1943 assessment by German Munitions Minister Albert Speer “that much of Germany's manufacture of armaments would come to a halt within 10 months if Turkey's chromite exports to Germany were ended.”
In the meantime, the Germans sold ingots of absolute evil in Turkey.
“Two German banks with branches in Turkey, the Deutsche Bank and the Dresdner Bank, took advantage of the high prices on the Turkish free gold market to sell looted gold provided by the Reichsbank in return for foreign currency, particularly Swiss francs,” the report says. “Some of the gold provided by the Reichsbank came from the infamous ‘Melmer account’ in which the SS deposited the gold jewelry, coins, bars, and dental fillings robbed from its victims at the killing centers and concentration camps.”
The Reichsbank was the central financial institution of Germany. Deutsche Bank would go on to become the lone financial institution in the 1990’s willing to risk making huge loans to Donald Trump.
"Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee Lindsey Graham (R-SC) speaks to the media after Special Counsel Robert Mueller found no evidence of collusion between U.S. President Donald Trump’s campaign and Russia in the 2016 election on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., March 25, 2019. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts - RC16ADD380D0" Graham Blasts Trump’s ‘Unnerving’ Syria Decision "US President Donald Trump speaks during a signing of a US-Japanese trade agreement in the Roosevelt Room of the White House October 7, 2019, in Washington, DC. (Photo by Brendan Smialowski / AFP) (Photo by BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images)" GOP Senators ‘Concerned’ About ‘Betrayal’ of Kurds in Syria Even as he condemns the Kurds for failing to do what they could not possibly have done at Normandy without a nation-state of their own, Trump says nothing about Deutsche Bank’s Nazi past or about Turkey’s continued sales of chromium ore to Germany until April 1944. Turkey finally returned to our side in August 1944—two months after Normandy—when it appeared that the Nazis were going to lose after all.
U.S. forces that fought their way from Normandy into Germany recovered ledgers showing that Deutsche Bank had sold at least 998 kilograms of what the congressional report terms “gold looted from individual victims of Nazi persecution.”
The report adds, “Other German gold acquired by Turkey during and after the War included coins and ingots from the account of German Foreign Minister Joachim Ribbentrop at the Reichsbank, which had been stocked with gold looted from occupied Europe.”
At war’s end, Turkey had done exactly nothing to assist the Allies besides no longer selling chromium to the Nazis. Turkey nonetheless argued that since it had been at war with Germany, it should not be expected to turn over whatever Nazi wealth it retained.
“Turkey, an 11th hour ally, returned no looted gold… and turned over no money,” the report notes.
Turkey also kept the money it made selling the Nazis chromium ore that kept the war going. The report says Turkey only stopped after President Franklin Roosevelt threatened Turkey with “economic war.”
Our current president made a similar threat this week, when he tweeted, “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.”
Mazars and Deutsche Bank could have ended this nightmare before it started. They could still get him out of office. But instead, they want mass death. Don’t forget that.
Lindsey Graham prank called by Russians pretending to be Turkish defense minister Sen. Lindsey Graham prank called by Russians Washington (CNN) — Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina was pranked by two Russians pretending to be Turkey's minister of defense in an August phone call, his office said on Thursday.
A spokesperson for Graham confirmed to CNN that the South Carolina Republican spoke with Russian pranksters Alexey Stolyarov and Vladimir Kuznetsov in a conversation he thought was with Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar.
"We have been successful in stopping many efforts to prank Senator Graham and the office, but this one slipped through the cracks," Graham spokesman Kevin Bishop said. "They got him."
According to audio of the call provided to Politico, Graham calls the Kurds a "threat" to Turkey -- a label that appears to contradict his public statements in recent days regarding President Donald Trump's decision to pull American troops out of the way of a Turkish invasion of Syria. The attack has been widely condemned by lawmakers on both sides of the aisle for putting American allies, such as the Kurds, in harm's way. "Your YPG Kurdish problem is a big problem," Graham told the pranksters in reference to the Kurdish People's Protection Units. Politico reports the pranksters have suspected ties to Russian intelligence.
"I told President Trump that Obama made a huge mistake in relying on the YPG Kurds," Graham continued. "Everything I worried about has come true, and now we have to make sure Turkey is protected from this threat in Syria. I'm sympathetic to the YPG problem, and so is the President, quite frankly."
The comments appear at odds with the senator's previous rhetoric on the conflict, including a tweet Wednesday in which he directed followers to "pray for our Kurdish allies who have been shamelessly abandoned by the Trump Administration."
In a second phone call, a few days after the first, Graham told Stolyarov that he met with Trump and discussed the initial call. Graham relayed the message from Trump that he wants a "better relationship with Turkey."
On Monday, Graham blasted Trump over his decision to remove US troops from northern Syria as Turkey plans a military offensive in the region, saying it was "shortsighted and irresponsible." "This impulsive decision by the President has undone all the gains we've made, thrown the region into further chaos. Iran is licking their chops. And if I'm an ISIS fighter I've got a second lease on life. So to those who think ISIS has been defeated you will soon see," Graham said during an interview on Fox News' "Fox and Friends."
Bishop said Graham's statements in the call are in line with his desire for a stronger relationship between Turkey and the US.
"With Turkey's invasion into northern Syria the drive for better relations between our two countries has suffered a body blow," Bishop said. "Turkey should immediately withdraw their military forces and America should reinstitute the safe zone concept to keep the peace in the region. Until this is done, Senator Graham will continue to push for severe, biting sanctions against Turkey."
Graham also raised the US case involving Reza Zarrab, a Turkish businessman and client of Rudy Giuliani.
CNN reported earlier Thursday that Giuliani used a 2017 Oval Office meeting with Trump to press Rex Tillerson, then-secretary of state, to support a prisoner swap to resolve the Justice Department's prosecution of Zarrab who was accused of violating Iran sanctions. Tillerson refused because it would constitute interference in an ongoing investigation. Graham also suggested to Stolyarov on the prank call that Trump would try to be helpful "within the limits of his power" to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the Zarrab case.
Mazars and Deutsche Bank could have ended this nightmare before it started. They could still get him out of office. But instead, they want mass death. Don’t forget that.
After a calamitous Sunday phone call with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Donald Trump announced the withdrawal of U.S. forces from northern Syria, where they had been working with Kurdish forces to curtail ISIS activities while blunting potential Turkish military aggression. On Wednesday morning, Erdoğan took the opportunity granted by Trump and unleashed an attack on those same Kurdish forces.
Trump’s abrupt decision to abandon those Kurdish forces to their fate presents a two-pronged dilemma for progressives, peace activists and everyone else who is tired of endless war.
The entire U.S. foreign policy establishment has loudly denounced Trump’s announcement as horrifying and dangerous. Congressional Republicans, eager to pretend they are not glued to the president’s gluteals, have erupted in the kind of harsh criticism normal people generally use when someone locks children in cages.Even the evangelicals are outraged: Far-right televangelist Pat Robertson warned Trump that his Syria decision puts him “in danger of losing the mandate of heaven,” whatever the Hell that means.
For peace activists, censure coming from these quarters does not carry much weight, as it was the foreign policy establishment — cheered along by evangelicals like Robertson — who got us into these forever wars to begin with. The fact that they hate this decision would, under normal circumstances, be an indication that we should consider supporting it.
Unfortunately, these are not normal circumstances. Trump’s declaration of a withdrawal of U.S. troops from northern Syria, where they have spent the last five years partnered with Kurdish forces trying to dismantle ISIS while staving off Turkish aggression, will prove deadly to those former Kurdish allies, and may have dire consequences for the entire Middle East. The manner in which Trump made this decision is deeply troubling, as well.
The first prong of our dilemma is the question of peace. “Bring the troops home!” is as moral a stance as can be taken in this age of eternal war. On the surface, that metric would seem to make Trump’s decision to remove U.S. troops from this regional conflict a no-brainer reason for celebration.
Unfortunately, the details present a far starker picture. Though small in number, the U.S. forces deployed with the Kurds served to tamp down a resurgence of ISIS, and were a check against Turkey. Casualty numbers have been comparatively low, while the security return is high. Abandoning this partnership with the Kurds is having immediate and drastic consequences.
The absence of U.S. forces in this region is tantamount to issuing free reign to Turkey’s military, and some 2 million Kurdish civilians have been left even more vulnerable. The potential for several Guernica-style massacres is all too present, and the Kurds are now presented with a number of poor and potentially lethal options. Abandoning the Kurds was not an antiwar move. In fact, doing so just started another war.
“What to make, then, of Trump’s latest erratic and unpredictable decision to betray the Kurds, increase the likelihood of ISIS reviving itself, and creating many more years of instability and violence in northern Iraq?” peace activist Kathy Kelly, co-coordinator of Voices for Creative Nonviolence, wondered when asked by Truthout to comment on the situation. “For ordinary villagers already displaced by violence and possibly desperate for food and income, I wonder if many might prefer to flee (certainly a nonviolent option) rather than risk their lives or lives of their loved ones over the issue of where a border is drawn or which politician or financial elite has their hand in their pockets ready to further rob them.”
Compounding this is the fact that Syria, Russia, Iran, Iraq, Yemen and Saudi Arabia, along with Turkey and the Kurds, will almost certainly become involved in any conflict caused by this withdrawal, making this as combustible a situation as has been seen since Trump first took office. The foreign policy establishment folks appear to have a point, for once: As pressing as the need to bring the troops home is, keeping a small force beside the Kurds to stave off a massive multinational bloodbath was the most prudent option, at least in the short term.
The second prong is Trump himself, and the manner in which this decision was reached. According to reports, Trump’s Sunday phone call with Turkish President Erdoğan was a disaster. Erdoğan, seething at having been snubbed by Trump at the UN last month, managed to finagle not only Trump’s permission to invade northern Syria by way of a U.S. troop withdrawal, but got himself a meeting with Trump next month to boot.
A National Security Council source who heard the call told Newsweek that Trump got “rolled” by Erdoğan because he is “spineless.” According to that source, “President Trump was definitely out-negotiated and only endorsed the troop withdrawal to make it look like we are getting something — but we are not getting something.”
The fierce reaction to Trump’s withdrawal decision prompted him to issue perhaps the most ridiculous missive in presidential history. “As I have stated strongly before, and just to reiterate,” he tweeted on Monday, “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!).”
Trump’s line about his intention to “totally destroy and obliterate the Economy of Turkey” raised a billion eyebrows, given the existence of Trump Towers Istanbul. Financially firebombing your own properties is not what one would quantify as a shrewd business move, emoluments clauses notwithstanding. The basis for his parenthetical “I’ve done before!” remains a mystery.
Yet it is the bit about “my great and unmatched wisdom” that draws my deepest concern. Trump is not sitting in the White House twirling his metaphorical mustache going “mwah ha ha hah,” nor is he thinking about the welfare of U.S. soldiers. He is playing ego games with policy in a region that has been trembling on the verge of comprehensive combustion for decades.
Trump is throwing lit matches at a pool of kerosene because he likes the pretty colors. “Great and unmatched wisdom”? I don’t think that’s gaslighting. His towering authoritarian ego, combined with his daily bouts of erratic rage, are bleeding into dangerous policy decisions that have the potential to get an awful lot of people killed.
This is one of the most frightening moments of Trump’s presidency to date, in my opinion, and that’s saying something. The fact that Trump’s untethered ego and authoritarian sympathies were the impetus for this Syria policy shift needs to be at the core of any considerations in this matter. The Kurds won’t be alone in paying the price if Trump’s reckless behavior is not reined in, and soon.
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C Everard, FB, 10-10-2019:
TURKEY, OPIUM and their TRUMP CARD: Known amongst Fleet Street newspaper editors as the ‘O-word’ OPIUM is perhaps the most off-limits subject which the tabloid newspapers and even the broadsheets avoid reporting on at all costs. Opium is one of the great ‘invisible’ pillars of consumer society, and it is - as it has been for centuries - controlled by the Palace and the secret British government which we call the Foreign Office in Whitehall. Whether it is Afghan-Taliban Opium protected by US and UK troops, or Opioid painkillers which the Tory-controlled NHS Trusts have ‘over-prescribed’ [ie: deliberately drugged and killed] millions of Britons with, or whether it be the ‘secret ingredient’ in addictive snack foods [once you pop you just can’t stop], or it be the secret ingredient in dried pet food, Opium is as much a part of the economy today as ever - and is ‘denatured’ and even genetically modified to masquerade as an unlabelled food additive across the spectrum of illuminati-owned supermarket snacks.
Turkey is one of the major conduits for Taliban Opium to make its way into the European metropolitan areas. Turkey is essentially 80 million religiously brainwashed people strategically located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia and the Middle East. These people are imprisoned in a regime controlled by sly, violent moustached men with far too much body hair for an average sized swimming pool filter to deal with. Many TORTURE TECHNIQUES were invented in Turkey. Turkey is, after all, the hub of the old Ottoman Empire, and Queen Elizabeth 1st and Henry the Eighth had trading alliances with Turkey back in the 1500s.
Turkey is part of NATO, which is a roundabout way of saying that Turkey is under the control of Buckingham Palace. And speaking of roundabouts, there is a big traffic junction in Turkey’s poppy-growing district which has a 30-foot tall sculpture of an opium poppy. You can see it on the ENIGMA CHANNEL in a special report filmed in Afghanistan.
The BBC and Palace have been complicit in helping to form a modern-day dictatorship in Turkey. The country has had an appalling Human Rights record, as witnessed by Amnesty International for decades - and that’s just the way the Palace likes it. Of course, there is another important faction in control of Turkey and that is the Donmeh Satanists loyal to Jakob Frank and the Zevite Sabbateans who make up a potent force in Turkish politics. These Donmeh Turkish satanist politicians are in actual fact Luciferians masquerading as Islamicists, and sometimes Christians. In a nutshell, it is these people and these factions who provide the constant river of hundreds of tons of raw and processed opium latex to Europe.
But Turkey also provides another important product; HUMAN SLAVES. They work in Headlight plastic injection moulding factories making spare parts for VolksWagen [owned by the British Royals], and other plastic sausage factory German car manufacturers. Consequently, the alcoholic Juncker brigade in Brussels have been feverishly fighting hard to make this Turkish Human Trafficking torture-state a member of the European Union - thus extending the EU’s borders to SYRIA - which has been the one and only real Foreign Policy goal of the Brussels puppets working for the Palace. This would ensure that all of European Christendom, despised by the Brussels bureaucrats, would cower and live in fear in their picturesque hamlets of being beheaded by an ISIS assassin who had literally just ‘walked through’ the non-existent EU Open Borders from ISIS-controlled regions of Syria and Turkey. And there are no shortage of these brainwashed assassins.
Exclusive: Turkey Attacks US Special Forces in Syria, Apparently by Mistake Tom O'Connor , James LaPorta and Naveed Jamali On 10/11/19 at 2:49 PM EDT By A contingent of U.S. Special Forces was caught up in Turkish shelling against U.S.-backed Kurdish positions in northern Syria, days after President Donald Trump told his Turkish counterpart he would withdraw U.S. troops from certain positions in the area. A senior Pentagon official said shelling by the Turkish forces was so heavy that the U.S. personnel considered firing back in self-defense.
Newsweek has learned through both an Iraqi Kurdish intelligence official and the senior Pentagon official that Special Forces operating on Mashtenour hill in the majority-Kurdish city of Kobani fell under artillery fire from Turkish forces conducting their so-called "Operation Peace Spring" against Kurdish fighters backed by the U.S. but considered terrorist organizations by Turkey. No injuries have been reported.
Instead of returning fire, the Special Forces withdrew once the shelling had ceased. Newsweek previously reported Wednesday that the current rules of engagement for U.S. forces continue to be centered around self-defense and that no order has been issued by the Pentagon for a complete withdrawal from Syria.
The Pentagon official said that Turkish forces should be aware of U.S. positions "down to the grid." The official could not specify the exact number of personnel present, but indicated they were "small numbers below company level," so somewhere between 15 and 100 troops. Newsweek has reached out to the Pentagon for comment on the situation.
A US soldier sits atop an armoured vehicle during a demonstration by Syrian Kurds against Turkish threats next to a base for the US-led international coalition on the outskirts of Ras al-Ain town in Syria's Hasakeh province near the Turkish border on October 6, 2019. - US forces in Syria started pulling back today from Turkish border areas, opening the way for Ankara's threatened military invasion and heightening fears of a jihadist resurgence. DELIL SOULEIMAN The Turkish Defense Ministry issued a statement in response to Newsweek's report, denying that its military had targeted U.S. forces. The ministry affirmed that "Turkish border outposts south of Suruc came under Dochka and mortar fire from the hills located approximately 1,000 meters southwest of a U.S. observation post."
"In self-defense, reciprocal fire was opened on the terrorist positions of the attack. Turkey did not open fire at the U.S. observation post in any way," the statement added. "All precautions were taken prior to opening fire in order to prevent any harm to the U.S. base. As a precaution, we ceased fire upon receiving information from the U.S. We firmly reject the claim that U.S. or Coalition forces were fired upon."
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had long warned he would storm the border to establish a so-called "safe zone" and, after the White House announced Sunday that U.S. troops would stand aside, he launched the operation earlier this week.
In its Sunday statement, the White House had said that U.S. troops "will no longer be in the immediate area" as Turkey and allied Syrian rebels commenced their assault. During Friday's press conference, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Army General Mark Milley said that U.S. personnel were "still co-located" save for "two small outposts" near the border with Turkey. Defense Secretary Mark Esper said 50 Special Forces personnel had been repositioned ahead of the Turkish and allied Syrian rebel assault.
The U.S. first partnered with the largely Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces in 2015 to battle the Islamic State militant group (ISIS) as the country shifted its support away from an increasingly Islamist opposition seeking the overthrow of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. The group proved effective in beating back the jihadis, but the U.S.' decision was opposed by Turkey, a NATO member that has faced off with a decades-long insurgency by Kurdish separatists.
Turkey remains the last major sponsor of the Syrian opposition, made up largely of members of the country's Syrian Arab majority, and has mobilized up to a thousand fighters from these forces, along with hundreds of its own troops, in order to seize territory currently administered by a majority-Kurdish autonomous administration that spans the country's north and east. This self-governing entity has not been recognized by Ankara nor the central government in Damascus, which has secured much of the rest of the country's territory with the help of Russia, Iran and allied militias.
The Pentagon has repeatedly urged Turkey to halt its operations and, though he initially signaled support for Erdogan's plans following their phone call Sunday, Trump has since threatened to sanction the Turkish economy if the country's military action did anything "off limits." While the president has repeatedly called for an end to the costly, "endless wars" launched by his predecessors in the Middle East and beyond, he also warned he may send more troops to Syria if the situation was not resolved.
On Thursday, Trump tweeted that he had "one of three choices: Send in thousands of troops and win Militarily, hit Turkey very hard Financially and with Sanctions, or mediate a deal between Turkey and the Kurds!"
Mazars and Deutsche Bank could have ended this nightmare before it started. They could still get him out of office. But instead, they want mass death. Don’t forget that.
Why Netanyahu Has to Stay Silent About Trump’s Abandonment of the Kurds Israeli premier has more in common than ever with Republican senators who have blindly supported Trump in the name of political self-preservation
Allison Kaplan Sommer Oct 12, 2019 1:33 PM A woman walking by a campaign billboard for Likud that shows Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Donald Trump, Tel Aviv, September 15, 2019. The slogan reads "Netanyahu: Another league." A woman walking by a campaign billboard for Likud that shows Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Donald Trump, Tel Aviv, September 15, 2019. The slogan reads "Netanyahu: Another league."Oded Balilty,AP Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has frequently been referred to as the “Republican senator from the State of Israel.” The nickname is only partly a joke.
There has never been another Israeli leader with as clear an affinity for one particular American political party. While he may pay lip service to pro-Israel Democrats, to placate American Jews committed to their mantra of promoting bipartisan support for Israel, he has done more to tie Israel’s fortunes to one party than any of his predecessors.
At first, it was quietly: The ties linking Netanyahu to Republicans were clear mainly to those who took a close look at their donors. But there was no way to hide the events of March 2015, when Netanyahu strategized with then-House Speaker John Boehner so he could address Congress — against the White House’s express wishes — in his unsuccessful campaign to lobby against the Iran nuclear deal.
It grew exponentially during the Trump era when the divisive U.S. president made it clear that Israel would benefit from absolute loyalty, and delivered on that promise. Netanyahu indicated time and again that he would stick to the bargain. Refusing to allow Democratic congresswomen Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar into Israel at Trump’s tweeted behest this summer was the most recent example of his willingness to put all of Israel’s eggs in the GOP basket.
As the prospect of Trump’s impeachment looms under the fast-moving Ukraine scandal and worries mount over his decision to green light Turkey’s invasion of Syria, these are dark and challenging days for Republicans.
In response to recent events, Slate’s Dahlia Lithwick observed Tuesday, most Republican congressional leaders are either “doing their best to keep their heads down on the merits, or pretend it’s all hilarious, or resort to full Alex Jones deep state talk,” pushing out outlandish conspiracy theories. But the tide could turn at any moment.
The cracks are already showing within the party. There is growing evidence that Trump used the powers of his office and the U.S. foreign policy infrastructure in a quest to force Ukraine and China to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden’s son, Hunter Biden. And now there are increasing accusations of obstruction of congressional investigation into the case.
Sen. Mitt Romney dared to tweet out that “by all appearances, the President’s brazen and unprecedented appeal to China and to Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden is wrong and appalling.”
Unlike Netanyahu’s transactional buddy performances with Trump, Romney has been an actual close personal friend and conservative ideological comrade with Bibi in the past. The two men worked together at the Boston Consulting Group as corporate advisers in 1976 and stayed connected as they scaled the political heights — including during Romney’s 2012 presidential election campaign, when he traveled to Jerusalem to hold a fundraiser.
Romney isn’t alone among Republicans. Ohio Sen. Rob Portman told the Columbus Dispatch, “It’s not appropriate for a president to engage a foreign government in an investigation of a political opponent.” And other senators, including Iowa’s Joni Ernst, Nebraska’s Ben Sasse and Maine’s Susan Collins have expressed displeasure. Alaska’s Sen. Lisa Murkowski, meanwhile, called Trump’s behavior “very concerning.”
Republican Sen. Mitt Romney taking questions from reporters as he arrives at the Capitol in Washington, September 11, 2019. Republican Sen. Mitt Romney taking questions from reporters as he arrives at the Capitol in Washington, September 11, 2019.J. Scott Applewhite,AP Criticism is likely to build as the White House digs into a strategy of obstruction — refusing to allow key officials involved in the matter to testify in front of Congress, thus alienating Republicans who are strict on following constitutional procedure.
An even greater number of Senate Republicans, including those considered close to Trump, have been even bolder in their condemnation of his move to withdraw U.S. troops from northern Syria without adequate coordination with the Pentagon. That decision has been attacked by his base: Evangelicals and their advocates in Congress have distanced themselves, costing Trump Republican support when he needs it most. One of his most reliable defenders, Sen. Lindsey Graham, slammed him for “shamelessly” abandoning Kurdish forces who had been fighting ISIS alongside American forces, saying it will be “the biggest mistake of his presidency” unless he reverses course.
If Netanyahu was an actual Republican senator, he would no doubt be counted among the majority of GOP lawmakers who have remained quiet on both matters, keeping their heads down to avoid Trump’s Twitter wrath. While understandably refusing to comment on the matter of Ukraine and impeachment, which is an internal U.S. political matter, the Israeli prime minister’s silence on Trump’s abandonment of the Kurds is deafening.
For four long days last week, Netanyahu said nothing on the matter. Finally, as the week drew to a close, he finally tweeted: “Israel strongly condemns the Turkish invasion of the Kurdish areas in Syria and warns against the ethnic cleansing of the Kurds by Turkey and its proxies,” and that “Israel is prepared to extend humanitarian assistance to the gallant Kurdish people.”
Utterly absent from his declaration: Any mention that it was the American president who set these events in motion.
Netanyahu is too trapped in a Trump bear hug to do so. He centered both of this year’s election campaigns around the benefits of his close relationship with the U.S. president, and a third campaign may be looming — the old election billboards of the two leaders smiling and shaking hands continue to hover over Israeli highways. He is less capable of taking the step of openly criticizing Trump than Graham or his old friend Romney. In response, Trump has lashed out at Romney, calling him a “pompous ass” and suggesting that Romney himself should be impeached.
In Netanyahu’s current precarious political position, he can’t afford the slightest negative word from the US president, let alone an angry tweetstorm. And so he keeps his mouth shut, unable to express the strong misgivings he surely feels at seeing Trump casually abandon a Middle East ally and increase Turkish, Russian and Iranian influence in the region.
As my colleague Chemi Shalev wrote Thursday: “Even when Trump is being viewed by both allies and enemies of Israel as a paper tiger, Netanyahu has no choice but to continue riding it, because, as the original Chinese saying goes, the alternative of getting off is far more daunting. It would mean confessing to his own abysmal failure,” after Netanyahu “bet the house on Trump, lauded him as Israel’s lord and savior.”
Now one wonders whether that was a safe bet, with a Washington Post-Schar School survey released Tuesday showing that 58 percent of Americans are supportive of the House decision to open an inquiry, and with 49 percent saying it should also take the next step of recommending that Trump be removed from office.
And the next day, a Fox News poll found that 51 percent of Americans say Trump should be impeached and removed from office — up from 42 percent in July.
Nobody has polled the Israeli public as to how it feels about Trump and impeachment, but the country clearly has the jitters as it watches what is playing out in Syria, and identifying more closely than ever with the Kurds.
Local pundits are calling it a “strategic disaster,” a “knife in the back” and a warning that Trump’s warm words at the White House may mean nothing when the chips are down for Israel. As Dan Shapiro, Obama’s former ambassador to Israel and a fellow at the Institute for National Security Studies in Tel Aviv, wrote Friday: “Trump’s total reversal of the U.S. position in Syria is unnerving Israelis.”
Former Israeli ambassador to the U.S. Michael Oren, no fan of former President Barack Obama, indicated to the New York Times that he had less faith in Trump’s willingness to step in if Israel were to be involved in a “serious war” than his predecessor. One can presume that if Oren were still Netanyahu’s deputy minister, he would be under orders to follow his boss’ lead and keep his feelings to himself.
Today, Netanyahu has more in common than ever with his “fellow” Republican senators who must weigh whether they can continue to stand steadfastly by Trump in the name of political self-preservation as growing numbers of their constituents are losing faith in him. https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.pr ... -1.7969224
Turkey bans critical reports on military operation in Syria, detains 2 journalists AP_turkey_10.10.19_rs.jpg In this photo taken from the Turkish side of the border with Syria, in Akcakale, Sanliurfa province, smoke billows from targets inside Syria during bombardment by Turkish forces on October 10, 2019. Turkey has banned critical reports on the assault. (AP/Lefteris Pitarakis) Istanbul, October 10, 2019 –Turkish authorities must stop censoring news reports on the country’s military incursion into Syria and detaining or harassing journalists who cover it, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.
The Chief Prosecutor's Office of Istanbul today published a statement banning critical news reports and comments on Turkey’s military assault on northern Syria. The statement says a person or persons who “target the social peace of the Republic of Turkey, domestic peace, unity and security” with “any kind of suggestive news, written or visual publication/broadcast” alongside “operational social media accounts” will be prosecuted according to the Turkish penal code and anti-terrorism law.
“Regional and global powers and their citizens all have a stake in what’s happening on the Syrian-Turkish border, and it’s vital that they receive unimpeded news and opinion. Turkish authorities must not get away with a monopoly this time,” said Gulnoza Said, CPJ’s Europe and Central Asia program coordinator. “Turkey’s ban on ‘suggestive’ news reports and detention of journalists are designed to intimidate the media into silence – a design it has carried out with impunity for far too long.”
Police took into custody Hakan Demir, online editor for the leftist daily BirGün, at his house in Istanbul late last night because of a tweet about Turkey’s Syria offensive from the newspaper’s account, BirGün reported. A court today released the journalist on probation and banned him from traveling abroad after Demir had spoken to his lawyer, according to the report.
Police also detained Fatih Gökhan Diler, responsible news editor of the news website Diken, at his newsroom in Istanbul today because of a Diken report that quoted a spokesperson for the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, Diken reported. A court also later released him on probation and banned him from foreign travel, according to the report. A ‘responsible news editor’ is a legally required position for every news outlet in Turkey, of which the bearer is legally responsible for all published content.
Neither journalist was formally charged, but their conditional release indicates that investigation is ongoing.
The Directorate General of Security said prosecution was underway of at least 78 people, Turkish news website Bianet reported. Bianet also cited other local news outlets as reporting that authorities had already arrested 21 people. CPJ could not immediately determine whether the two journalists were counted among the 78 whom officials said they were prosecuting.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had long threatened the assault on the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, who until this week were backed by the U.S. Turkey claims the Kurdish militia that leads the alliance is linked to the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which is outlawed in Turkey. A U.S. decision this week to pull back from the border cleared the way for Turkish warplanes and artillery to pound the area yesterday, followed by ground forces crossing the border, according to news reports.
Turkey has been the world’s worst jailer of journalists for three consecutive years. Over that period, authorities have shut down or taken over scores of independent news outlets, according to CPJ research. https://cpj.org/2019/10/turkey-bans-cri ... ration.php
Mazars and Deutsche Bank could have ended this nightmare before it started. They could still get him out of office. But instead, they want mass death. Don’t forget that.
Senior female Kurdish political leader killed in ambush in Syria The Future Syria Party's Secretary-General, Hevrin Khalaf. (Photo: Hawar News Agency) ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The Future Syria Party’s Secretary-General, Hevrin Khalaf, was killed on Saturday when Turkish-backed groups tried to take control of a point on the international M4 road.
“With utmost grievance and sadness, the Syria Future Party mourns the martyrdom of engineer Havrin Khalaf, the General Secretary of Syria Future Party, while she was performing her patriotic and political duties,” the Future Party said in a statement.
Khalaf was reportedly killed when a Turkish-backed group ambushed her on the road to the city of Qamishlo.
“A group of Turkish mercenaries tried to control the M4 road and killed many people, and Hevrin was one of them,” one senior official told Kurdistan 24.
Nobahar Mustafa, the deputy of the co-head of the Future Party in Ain Issa, said the Kurdish politician was traveling from the Jazeera canton to Ain Issa and then to Raqqa before the mercenaries blocked the way at a checkpoint and killed all the people there.
“All the passengers they captured were martyred,” Mustafa told Kurdistan 24.
According to a statement released later in the afternoon by the Syrian Democratic Council (SDC), Khalaf was dragged out of the vehicle she was in and summarily executed on the spot.
“She was taken out of her car during a Turkish-backed attack and executed by Turkish backed mercenary factions on the International Road between Qamishlo and Manbij, where her driver who was also martyred,” it read.
“This is a clear evidence that the Turkish state is continuing its criminal policy towards unarmed civilians.”
During a press conference in the city of Qamishlo on Oct. 5, Khalaf stated that the Turkish attempts “to occupy this land in order to defend the Turkish people don’t adjust to reality,” reminding that Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) had liberated northeast Syria from terror groups.
“We – all the political forces – reject these threats, especially because they impede our campaign to create a solution for the Syrian crisis,” she stated.
“For this reason, the international community should support the people living on Syrian land to keep the security and not allow the Turkish forces to occupy Syrian land.”
Turkey's president threatens to flood Europe with refugees as Syria offensive ramps up
(CNN) — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has threatened to allow millions of refugees into Europe if it described Turkey's military offensive in northeast Syria as an "occupation."
Erdogan told the European Union to "come to your senses" during a speech in the capital Ankara on Thursday. "I will say this once again. If you try to label our current operation as an occupation, our job becomes easier, we will open the doors and send the 3.6 million refugees to you."
Concern is mounting over the humanitarian impact of Turkey's operation to push Kurdish-led forces, which Turkey regards as terrorists, in northern Syria back from its border. The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) who operate in the region were key US allies in the fight against ISIS, but Turkey regards them as enemies. Turkey wants to ensure that the US-allied Kurdish forces withdraw from these areas, and to resettle around 2 million Syrian refugees there. UN Secretary-General António Guterres said he had received a letter from the Turkish government.
"It was said that any movement of refugees would respect the principles of voluntariness, safety and need," he told reporters in Denmark.
Turkey claimed its offensive, which has drawn international condemnation, has been successful as its operation went into its second day. Amid reports of further air and ground assaults by Turkish forces, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said more than 60,000 people have been displaced in camps in northeastern Syria. Turkey's Foreign Affairs Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told CNN Turk that its incursion will not go further than 30 kilometers (18.5 miles) deep into Syria. Turkey's operation may also prove to be wider in scope and encompass the "whole stretch" of the border, a US official told CNN.
Everything you need to know about Turkey's military offensive in Syria Kurdish fighters appeared to return fire on Thursday as several Turkish border towns were hit with mortar rounds, killing five people and injuring at least 46 others, according to Turkish government statements.
US and European officials worry that the offensive will provide thousands of ISIS fighters, currently detained by Kurdish-led forces, the opportunity to escape.
More casualties
The death toll continued to rise as fighting escalated Thursday. The SDF have reported 11 deaths since the start of the operation. At least three civilians were killed Thursday, and many others injured, when the Turkish military targeted a civilian convoy in the city of Tal Abyad in northern Syria, according to an SDF tweet.
Turkey's Defense Ministry said Friday that 277 "terrorists" had been killed since the campaign, which Turkey has dubbed "Operation Peace Spring," began on Wednesday. The Turks did not provide any breakdown or further detail on the death toll figure.
International aid agencies say that hundreds of thousands of people, who have already endured eight years of a protracted conflict, could be at risk in Syria.
"Hundreds of thousands of civilians in northern Syria are now in harm's way. Civilians and civilian infrastructure must not be a target," the UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi said Thursday.
UNHCR, the UN's refugee agency, also stressed that any return of Syrian refugees to Syria had to be done voluntarily. "It is up to refugees to decide if and when they wish to return," it said in a statement.
The International Rescue Committee (IRC) said in a statement Thursday: "As Turkish offensive in Syria begins, the IRC is deeply concerned about the lives and livelihoods of the two million civilians in northeast Syria who have already survived ISIS brutality and multiple displacements."
Chaotic scenes
As a barrage of airstrikes and artillery fire volleyed into northern Syria Wednesday, chaotic scenes unfolded on the ground as people tried to flee to safety. Roads were gridlocked with hundreds of fleeing families, motorcycles piled with five to six people and mattresses strapped to cars. Reports began to filter in on Wednesday following the aerial bombardment, with the SDF tweeting that two civilians had been killed and two others injured in the village of Misharrafa, west of Ras al-Ain.
The US-backed SDF said civilian homes in the village of Sikarkah in eastern Qamishli and areas near the Bouzra dam in Derik -- which provides water to hundreds of thousands of civilians in northern Syria -- were also targeted.
The group has called on the international community for assistance, saying the border areas of northeast Syria "are on the edge of a possible humanitarian catastrophe."
Kurdish people in Ras al-Ayn, Syria, wave their group's flags as they protest against a military operation on Monday, October 7.
Kurdish people in Ras al-Ayn, Syria, wave their group's flags as they protest against a military operation on Monday, October 7. Smoke billows from targets in Tel Abyad, Syria, during bombardment by Turkish forces, on Friday, October 11. Photos: In photos: Turkey launches military offensive in Syria
Smoke billows from targets in Tel Abyad, Syria, during bombardment by Turkish forces, on Friday, October 11. Pro-Turkish Syrian fighters drive an armored personnel carrier across the border into Syria on October 11.
Owners closed their shops on Friday in fear of incoming shelling from Syria.
Turkish-backed fighters of the Free Syrian Army head toward Tell Abyad, Syria, on Thursday, October 10.
Refugees arrive in Tall Tamr, Syria, after fleeing the fighting on October 10.
A woman holds a baby after arriving in Tall Tamr.
Smoke rises from Tell Abyad on October 10.
People in Akcakale, Turkey, watch smoke billow from inside Syria.
Turkish soldiers move into Tell Abyad.
Smoke rises from the Syrian city of Ras al-Ayn on Wednesday, October 9.
Civilians flee during the bombardment on October 9. Roads were gridlocked with hundreds of fleeing families. . Turkish troops prepare for the operation on October 9.
Refugees leave their homes near the Turkey-Syria border.
Turkish military vehicles drive through Akcakale, Turkey, near the border.
Turkey launched airstrikes and artillery fire across the border on October 9.
Residents of Akcakale cheer as a convoy of Turkish military vehicles is driven to the Syrian border just after the offensive began.
Our aim is to destroy the terror corridor which is trying to be established on our southern border and to bring peace and peace to the region," Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan tweeted as he announced the start of the operation. Smoke is seen in Tell Abyad, Syria, on October 9.
Kurdish people in Ras al-Ayn, Syria, wave their group's flags as they protest against a military operation on Monday, October 7. Photos: In photos: Turkey launches military offensive in Syria Kurdish people in Ras al-Ayn, Syria, wave their group's flags as they protest against a military operation on Monday, October 7.
Turkey's offensive came just days after the Trump administration announced it was pulling US troops back from the area, prompting outrage in Congress and accusations from senior Republican lawmakers that Trump allowed Turkey to attack an ally that it considers instrumental in the fight against ISIS.
Republican anger grows as Trump disavows Kurds by saying they didn't help during WWII Thursday afternoon, Trump told reporters at the White House that it is possible he will order sanctions on Turkey. He did not commit to taking such action, but said it was possible the US does something "strong" with regard to sanctions.
Trump said the United States has a good relationship with the Kurds, and he expressed hope Washington could mediate the situation.
A senior State Department official said Trump had tasked the department with "trying to see if there are areas of commonality between the two sides, if there's a way that we could find our way to a ceasefire."
"Right now, that's the work that we're doing, but I can't describe it in any more detail," the official told reporters on a conference call Thursday.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called claims that the US withdrawal of troops was a green light for the slaughter of the Kurds "false." "The United States didn't give Turkey a green light," Pompeo said in an interview with PBS NewsHour.
Pompeo said that "it became very clear" after the phone call with Turkish President Erdogan "that there were American soldiers that were going to be at risk and the President made a decision to put them in a place where they were out of harm's way."
Pompeo also refused to explicitly endorse the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) as US allies.
Trump has also downplayed the alliance with the Kurds, 11,000 of whom died fighting to help the US mission against ISIS. "They didn't help us in the second World War, they didn't help us with Normandy for example," he said.
Trump has defended his decision to withdraw troops from northern Syria, but added that the US "does not endorse" Turkey's operation.
"The United States does not endorse this attack and has made it clear to Turkey that this operation is a bad idea," the President said in a statement from the White House.
ISIS 'may rise up again'
The SDF said in a statement Wednesday that it had suspended its military operations against ISIS in northern Syria following the "Turkish aggression."
There are fears that Turkey's military offensive could lead to a resurgence of ISIS and American officials have expressed concern that thousands of ISIS fighters may escape from prisons in Syria. Some SDF fighters had left their posts at various prisons to prepare for the Turkish offensive. Turkey's assault has already had a "detrimental effect" on American counter-ISIS operations, which have "effectively stopped," a senior US defense official told CNN on Wednesday. The Turkish offensive, the official said, "has challenged our ability to build local security forces, conduct stabilization operations and the Syrian Democratic Forces' (ability) to guard over 11,000 dangerous ISIS fighters."
'Huge concerns' thousands of ISIS prisoners may escape as Turkey invades Syria When asked Wednesday about the threat of ISIS prisoners escaping, Trump claimed that some of the most dangerous ISIS prisoners had been moved, "putting them in other areas where it's secure."
He dismissed the overall threat, replying, "Well, they're going to be escaping to Europe."
The US military has taken custody of two high profile members of the British ISIS cell known as the "Beatles," according to three US officials. Two officials said the transfer was made Wednesday. One of the officials said there are plans to bring the two ISIS members, Alexanda Kotey and El Shafee Elsheikh, to the US for prosecution. The two have been held in northern Syria by the SDF for more than a year. The State Department accused their ISIS execution cell of "holding captive and beheading approximately two dozen hostages," including James Foley, American journalist Steven Sotloff, and American aid worker Peter Kassig.
Correction: A previous version of this map incorrectly located the Al-Hol camp. It has been updated.
CNN's Ryan Browne, Clarissa Ward, Nick Paton Walsh, Evan Perez, Nicole Gaouette, Alex Marquardt, Jennifer Hansler, Isil Sariyuce, Hamdi Alkhshali, Yusuf Gezer and Sharif Paget contributed reporting. https://www.cnn.com/2019/10/10/politics ... index.html
Mazars and Deutsche Bank could have ended this nightmare before it started. They could still get him out of office. But instead, they want mass death. Don’t forget that.
And over the weekend, State and Energy Department officials were quietly reviewing plans for evacuating roughly 50 tactical nuclear weapons that the United States had long stored, under American control, at Incirlik Air Base in Turkey, about 250 miles from the Syrian border, according to two American officials.
Those weapons, one senior official said, were now essentially Erdogan’s hostages. To fly them out of Incirlik would be to mark the de facto end of the Turkish-American alliance. To keep them there, though, is to perpetuate a nuclear vulnerability that should have been eliminated years ago.
“I think this is a first — a country with U.S. nuclear weapons stationed in it literally firing artillery at US forces,” Jeffrey Lewis of the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies wrote last week.
For his part, Mr. Erdogan claims nuclear ambitions of his own: Only a month ago, speaking to supporters, he said, he said he “cannot accept” rules that keep Turkey from possessing nuclear weapons of its own.
thanks elfismiles for posting those links about ABC fake Syria bombing video
Liz Cheney Blames Turkey’s Invasion of Syria on Democrats’ Impeachment Inquiry “And I think the Democrats have got to pay very careful attention to the damage that they’re doing with the impeachment proceedings,” she concluded. https://www.thedailybeast.com/liz-chene ... nt-inquiry
ALJAZEERA
Turkey's military operation in Syria: All the latest updates Turkish President Erdogan says Ankara will 'not back down' over Syria offensive as fighting flares for sixth day.
an hour ago Heavy fighting continues as Turkey presses ahead with its military operation against Kurdish fighters in northeast Syria, now in its sixth day.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says the offensive aims to remove the Kurdish-led forces from the border area and create a "safe zone" to which millions of Syrian refugees can be returned.
More:
In Pictures: Turkey's military offensive in northeastern Syria Hundreds of ISIL prisoners escape Syrian camp, Kurds say Turkey says its has taken Ras al-Ain The move came after the United States announced it was withdrawing its troops from the area, leaving the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), its main ally in the battle against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL or ISIS) armed group, without US military support.
Here are the latest updates:
Monday, October 14
Pentagon chief to press NATO allies to act against Turkey
US Defense Secretary Mark Esper said he will meet with NATO allies next week to press them to take "diplomatic and economic measures" in response to Turkey's operation into Syria.
In a statement, Esper said Turkey's military action "was unnecessary and impulsive" and could result in the resurgence of ISIL.
UK reviewing arms export licenses to Turkey: Report
The United Kingdom is reviewing all arms export licences to Turkey amid mounting concern over Ankara's cross-border military push, the Financial Times reported, citing unnamed officials.
British ministers have suspended issuing new licences for weapons sales to Turkey while the review is being conducted, the newspaper added.
The report came after Italy, the top arms exporter to Turkey last year, joined a ban on selling weapons and ammunition to Ankara after a weekend decision by France and Germany to suspend sales, and Spain signalled it was ready to do so.
Trump: US to impose sanctions on Turkey
US President Donald Trump said he would "soon" impose a package of sanctions on Turkey over the latter's military offensive in Syria.
"The United States will aggressively use economic sanctions to target those who enable, facilitate and finance these heinous acts in Syria," Trump said in a statement.
"I am fully prepared to swiftly destroy Turkey's economy if Turkish leaders continue down this dangerous and destructive path," he added.
Donald J. Trump ✔ @realDonaldTrump Statement from President Donald J. Trump Regarding Turkey’s Actions in Northeast Syria View image on Twitter
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Trump also said that US troops coming out of Syria will redeploy and remain in the region to monitor the situation and help prevent the revival of ISIL.
Read more here.
Erdogan and Macron discuss Syria in phone call
The Turkish presidency said Erdogan held a phone conversation with Emmanuel Macron during which he explained to the French president the goals of Ankara's operation in northeastern Syria.
Erdogan told his French counterpart the operation would contribute to regional and global peace and stability, according to the presidency.
European Union countries agreed earlier in the day to limit arms exports to Turkey over its offensive, prompting condemnation from Ankara, even as they stopped short of a bloc-wide embargo against the NATO ally.
Turkey-backed Syrian rebel fighters raise the Syrian opposition flag at the border town of Tel Abyad, Syria, October 14, 2019 Turkey-backed Syrian rebel fighters raise the Syrian opposition flag at the border town of Tal Abyad [Khalil Ashawi/Reuters] Mercy Corps suspends work, evacuates international staff
International aid agency Mercy Corps said it was suspending operations and evacuating foreign staff from northeast Syria.
"This is our nightmare scenario. There are tens of thousands of people on the run and we have no way of getting to them. We've had to pull our international staff out of northeast Syria," Made Ferguson, Mercy Corps' deputy country director for Syria said in a statement.
"We just cannot effectively operate with the heavy shelling, roads closing, and the various and constantly changing armed actors in the areas where we are working."
The agency, which had been delivering aid to the region since 2014, said it was providing civilians with fresh water and other basic needs since Turkey launched its operation.
Red Cross warns of mass displacement, water shortages
Ongoing fighting amid Turkey's offensive could result in the displacement of up to 300,000 people in the Syrian provinces of Hassakeh and Raqqa, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said in a statement.
Water shortages are also a major concern, ICRC added, with several dams and water stations deemed to be at risk.
"The ongoing hostilities are having a devastating impact on the civilian population," the organisation said.
Syrian army enters Manbij: Report
Syrian government forces entered Manbij, the country's state-run SANA news agency reported, without giving further details.
Turkish-backed rebel Syrian forces had earlier launched an operation to capture the SDF-held northern city, which houses US troops.
A Syria Democratic Forces fighter takes a position as he looks at Manbij's mills where Islamic State militants are positioned, in Aleppo Governorate, Syria June 16, 2016 Turkish-backed rebel Syrian forces have launched an operation to seize SDF-held Manbij [File: Rodi Said/Reuters] Czech Republic halts arms exports licenses to Turkey
Jan Hamacek, Czech Republic's interior minister, said his country had halted weapons and ammunition sales to Turkey over its offensive.
"The Czech Republic with immediate effect suspends export licenses for military equipment to Turkey," Hamacek said in a post on Twitter.
The announcement came after European Union governments had earlier agreed to limit arms exports to Turkey, stopping short of a bloc-wide embargo on a NATO ally.
UN: 160,000 displaced amid Turkish operation
The United Nations said up to 160,000 people had been displaced amid Turkey's military push into neighbouring Syria.
Aid agencies had earlier warned that nearly a half-million people are deemed to be at risk from ongoing fighting in the border region.
Ankara accuses EU of shielding 'terrorists'
Turkey accused the EU of protecting "terrorists" by criticising its military offensive against Kurdish fighters.
"It is unacceptable for the EU to display an approach that protects terror elements," the Turkish foreign ministry said in a statement, shortly after the bloc condemned Turkey's operation.
Federica Mogherini, Brussels' foreign policy chief, had earlier urged Ankara to halt its offensive, warning that "renewed armed hostilities in the north-east [of Syria] will further undermine the stability of the whole region, exacerbate civilian suffering and provoke further displacements".
Turkey to continue Syria offensive 'until terrorists eliminated'
Fikret Ozer, Turkey's ambassador to Qatar, said the target of Ankara's offensive is "to contain the threat of the YPG/PKK".
"Some 300,000 Syrian Kurds sought refuge in Turkey and they don't want to go back because they fear for their lives," he said.
Read more here.
UN chief appeals for 'immediate de-escalation'
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres appealed for an "immediate de-escalation" in the Turkish offensive.
UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said Guterres also raised "serious concern" about the consequences of the possible unintended release of suspected ISIL fighters amid the ongoing operation.
Iran urges Turkey to halt offensive
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani called on Turkey to halt its military offensive, telling a news conference Tehran did "not accept the method that they have chosen".
While Iranian authorities have previously expressed opposition to the Turkish offensive, this was Rouhani's first direct comment on the issue.
Iran is one of two main military backers of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, alongside Russia.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani speaks at a news conference on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, U.S., September 26, 2019 Iranian President Rouhani said Tehran did 'not accept' Turkey's operation [File: Brendan Mcdermid/Reuters] [Reuters] Putin aide cool on Turkish operation
Turkey's military offensive was "not exactly" compatible with Syria's territorial integrity, Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said.
Speaking in Riyadh during an official visit to Saudi Arabia by Russian President Vladimir Putin, Ushakov added that Russia planned to "do something" without specifying what that might be.
Displaced Arab Syrians eye return to homelands
As Turkish forces pushed ahead with their cross-border offensive against Kurdish fighters in northeastern Syria, displaced Arab Syrians residing in Turkey told Al Jazeera they were hoping to return to their homes in the region.
Read more here.
US Speaker backs sanctions on Turkey, Republican senator says
US Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said that he had spoken with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi about Turkey's offensive, and that she supported bipartisan sanctions against Ankara.
Graham is usually a vocal supporter of US President Donald Trump, but he has repeatedly publicly condemned Trump's decision to withdraw US troops from northeastern Syria.
"Just spoke with Speaker Pelosi regarding congressional action on Turkey's incursion of Syria," Graham said in a post on Twitter. "Speaker supports bipartisan sanctions against Turkey's outrages in Syria. She also believes we should show support for Kurdish allies and is concerned about the reemergence of ISIS."
Lindsey Graham ✔ @LindseyGrahamSC Just spoke with Speaker Pelosi regarding congressional action on Turkey’s incursion of Syria. Speaker supports bipartisan sanctions against Turkey’s outrages in Syria. She also believes we should show support for Kurdish allies and is concerned about the reemergence of ISIS.
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There was no immediate comment from Pelosi, but Trump had earlier said that "big sanctions" on Turkey were "coming".
Erdogan says Turkey will not halt offensive
Turkey will not back down from its offensive against Kurdish fighters in northeastern Syria "no matter what anyone says", Erdogan reiterated, adding that the battle would continue until "ultimate victory" is achieved.
"We are determined to continue the operation until the end, without paying attention to threats. We will absolutely finish the job we started. Our battle will continue until ultimate victory is achieved," Erdogan said during a speech in Azerbaijan's capital, Baku.
He also slammed the European Union and Arab League for their criticism of Turkey's operation and asked for international funds for Ankara's "safe zone" plans in northeast Syria.
Turkish-backed forces launch operation to capture Manbij
Al Jazeera's Zeina Khodr, reporting from Akcakale on the Turkey-Syria border, said Turkish-backed rebel Syrian forces had launched an operation to capture SDF-held Manbij.
"The operation has begun, the question is what happens when these troops reach the centre of the city," Khodr said.
"We understand there are a few hundred SDF holed up in Manbij, there is also the US military, which is present in and around the city. On the outskirts of Manbij, there are Syrian army troops who are trying to make their way to the city but the presence of the US military prevents them from doing that," she added.
"There are all these forces at play and it is unclear how this battle is going to play out; there could either be confrontation, an agreement or surrender."
Syria map UEFA to investigate Turkish salutes: Report
European football governing body UEFA will discuss proceedings against Turkey after the country's players made military-style salutes while celebrating during Friday's 1-0 Euro 2020 qualifying win against Albania, the dpa news agency reported.
UEFA's control, ethics and disciplinary body will convene on Thursday, dpa reported, but whether a decision is made immediately on potential sanctions is unclear. UEFA could sanction either the Turkish federation or the players individually.
EU countries stop short of Turkey arms embargo
European Union countries committed to suspending arms exports to Turkey, but stopped short of the EU-wide arms embargo that France and Germany had sought.
The European Council, the grouping of the EU's 28 governments, said in a statement that Turkey's military action had "dramatic consequences" and noted that some EU countries had halted arms exports.
"Member states commit to strong national positions regarding their arms export policy to Turkey," EU foreign ministers said after a meeting in Luxembourg.
Turkey says Kurdish forces emptied ISIL prison
Turkish Defence Minister Hulusi Akar said fighters from the Kurdish People's Protection Group (YPG), which forms the backbone of the SDF, had emptied a jail holding ISIL prisoners.
Akar said the facility was the only ISIL prison that Turkish forces had so far reached in the envisaged "safe zone" area.
"When we went there, we saw that it had been emptied by the YPG and the Islamic State militants there had been abducted. We determined this through photographs and film, talked to our counterpart, and will continue to do so," he added.
Akar did not say how many prisoners were believed to have been taken from the jail, nor did he elaborate on who had taken the prisoners and where. There was no immediate YPG comment.
Turkish military equipment is transported on a street in the Turkish border town of Akcakale in Sanliurfa province, Turkey, October 14, 2019 Turkish military equipment is transported on a street in the Turkish border town of Akcakale [Stoyan Nenov/Reuters] EU nations 'condemn' Turkish offensive
European Union nations unanimously "condemned" the Turkish offensive and called on all member states to halt arms sales to Ankara.
The statement came after France's foreign minister reiterated calls on EU foreign ministers to condemn Turkey's offensive in Syria ahead of a meeting with his counterparts in Luxembourg.
Trump: 'Kurdish-led forces may be intentionally releasing ISIL militants'
US President Donald Trump said that Kurdish-led forces in northeast Syria may be releasing captive ISIL fighters to lure US troops back to the area, adding that they could be easily recaptured.
The Turkish onslaught in northern Syria has raised concerns that ISIL fighters and their families held by the Kurdish-led forces long allied with Washington may escape and revive the group. Scores have been said to have escaped already.
"Kurds may be releasing some to get us involved. Easily recaptured by Turkey or European Nations from where many came, but they should move quickly," Trump said in a series of posts on Twitter, in which he also threatened that "big sanctions" on Turkey were "coming".
Donald J. Trump ✔ @realDonaldTrump · 10h Brian Kilmeade over at @foxandfriends got it all wrong. We are not going into another war between people who have been fighting with each other for 200 years. Europe had a chance to get their ISIS prisoners, but didn’t want the cost. “Let the USA pay,” they said...
Donald J. Trump ✔ @realDonaldTrump ....Kurds may be releasing some to get us involved. Easily recaptured by Turkey or European Nations from where many came, but they should move quickly. Big sanctions on Turkey coming! Do people really think we should go to war with NATO Member Turkey? Never ending wars will end!
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NATO's Stoltenberg defends approach to Turkey's Syria offensive
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg defended his stance on Turkey's military operation, saying the military alliance should not lose its unity in the fight against ISIL.
Splits in the military alliance have emerged after NATO member Turkey began its offensive in Syria last week, with EU governments threatening sanctions against Ankara. Stoltenberg visited Istanbul on Friday.
"We must not put in jeopardy the gains we have made against our common enemy," Stoltenberg said at a session of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly in London, in answer to questions from French and Italian delegates who had challenged what they described as his conciliatory approach to Turkey.
"Turkey is important for NATO ... We risk undermining the unity we need in the fight against Daesh [ISIL]."
Turkey-backed Syrian rebel fighter stands near a former YPG office at the entrance of Tel Abyad, Syria, October 14, 2019 Turkey-backed Syrian rebel fighter stands near a former YPG office at the entrance of Tal Abyad [Khalil Ashawi/Reuters] Kremlin: 'We don't want to consider possibility of clash with Turkey in Syria'
The Kremlin said it did not want to think about the possibility that Russian and Turkish forces might clash with one another in Syria, adding that Moscow was in regular contact with Ankara, including at a military level.
The Kremlin's comments came after Syrian Kurdish leaders said that a deal with the Syrian government, brokered by Russia, centred for now on Syrian army troops deploying along the border with Turkey.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that Moscow had already warned all sides in the Syrian conflict to avoid any action that could escalate the situation or damage a fragile political process.
Syrian government forces deployed to Ain Issa in northern Syria
Syrian government forces were deployed to Ain Issa in northern Syria, Syrian state media and a war monitor said.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that the deployment took place to the front lines of the territory where Turkish forces have mounted a military operation since last week.
Syrian state television showed broadcasts of what it said was the entrance of Ain Issa, where residents were seen welcoming the arrival of Syrian government troops.
A Syrian army soldier is seen in the town of Tel Tamer in northeast Syria A Syrian army soldier in the town of Tel Tamer in northeast Syria [Reuters via SANA] US diplomatic team leaves northeast Syria
A United States diplomatic team that was working on stabilisation projects in northeast Syria had left the country, a US official said, a day after Washington said it was withdrawing 1,000 troops from Syria.
The official told Reuters news agency that the troops were still in Syria but early phases of the withdrawal had started, without giving details.
Two US officials said on Sunday the US is considering plans to withdraw the bulk of the troops from northern Syria in the coming days.
Syrian army deploys to town near Raqqa, says state media
The Syrian army had deployed to the town of Tabqa near Raqqa, Syrian state television reported.
The move restores the state's foothold in an area that is home to a major hydroelectric dam.
Backed by the US, the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) battled for weeks to take Tabqa and the nearby dam from ISIL in 2017.
The deployment followed an agreement between the Syrian government and the Kurdish-led forces for the Syrian army to deploy into the area.
Erdogan says US Syria withdrawal 'positive'
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan welcomed the announcement a day earlier by Washington that it was pulling out up to 1,000 US troops from northern Syria.
"This is a positive approach," Erdogan told reporters when asked about the statement from US Pentagon Chief Mark Esper.
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan talks to journalists in Istanbul, Turkey, October 13, 2019 Erdogan wants to create a 'safe zone' in northern Syria [Presidential Press Office handout via Reuters] Erdogan signals imminent entry of Turkish-backed forces into Kobane and Manbij
Erdogan said that he does not expect there will be problems with President Bashar al-Assad's main ally Russia, after Syrian government troops deployed to the country's northeast.
"There would be no problem in Kobane. We are coordinating with Russians. We are decisive about Manbij. We will about to enter with the opposition forces," said Erdogan.
The developments came after Damascus reached an agreement on Sunday night with the Kurdish-led forces controlling the region to deploy into the area to counter an attack by Turkey.
Syrian army deploys to town in country's northeast after Kurdish deal
Syrian army troops entered the town of Tal Tamer in northeastern Syria, state media reported.
The developments came after Damascus reached an agreement with the Kurdish-led forces controlling the region to deploy into the area to counter an attack by Turkey.
Tal Tamer is on a strategically important highway, the M4, that runs east to west. Turkish forces said they had seized the highway on Sunday.
Tel Tamer is 35 km (20 miles) southeast of Ras al-Ain, one of the focal points of the Turkish assault.
France: EU must consider Turkish arms embargo
France's foreign minister reiterated calls for European Union foreign ministers to condemn Turkey's offensive in Syria.
Jean-Yves Le Drian also called for an arms embargo on Ankara and requested that the United States hold a meeting of the coalition against the Islamic State [ISIL].
"This offensive is going to cause serious humanitarian devastation," Le Drian said as he arrived for a meeting with his EU counterparts in Luxembourg.
"France expects from this meeting ... a specific demand to end the offensive ... a firm position on arms exports to Turkey and ... that the United States holds a meeting of the international coalition (against Islamic State)," he told reporters.
A Turkish forces tank is driven to its new position after was transported by trucks, on a road towards the border with Syria in Sanliurfa province, Turkey, on Monday, Oct. 14, 2019 A Turkish tank is driven to its new position on a road towards the border with Syria [Emrah Gurel/AP] France says securing military in Syria as US begins withdrawal
France said it was taking measures to ensure the safety of its military and civilians in northeastern Syria as the United States begins to withdraw forces from the area.
France has been one of the main allies in the US-led coalition fighting ISIL.
"Measures will be taken in the coming hours to ensure the safety of French military and civilian personnel present in the zone as part of the international coalition fighting Islamic State and humanitarian action," the French presidency said in a statement after an emergency defence cabinet meeting. It did not provide further details.
A regional diplomatic source told Reuters on Thursday that Paris was preparing to pull out its several hundred special forces. They are operating closely with Kurdish-led forces, who are now the target of Turkey's offensive in northern Syria. French aid workers are also in the zone.
Sunday, October 13
Kurds announce deal with Damascus
The Kurdish administration in northern Syria announced a deal with the Damascus government on a Syrian troop deployment near the border with Turkey to confront Ankara's offensive.
"In order to prevent and confront this aggression, an agreement has been reached with the Syrian government... so that the Syrian army can deploy along the Syrian-Turkish border to assist the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF)," the Kurdish administration said in a statement on its Facebook page.
In their statement the Kurds said that the agreement struck with the Damascus government "paves the way to liberate the rest of the Syrian cities occupied by the Turkish army such as Afrin", a majority Kurdish enclave in the northwest.
Syrian Kurds 'agree to allow Assad troops into Kobane'
General Ismet Sheikh Hasan, an official in Kurdish-controlled Kobane, told the Russian news agency RT that Syrian Kurds have reached an agreement with Russia to allow Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's troops into Kobane.
Hassan, the minister of defense of the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria, also known as Rojava, said Russian and Syrian government troops could enter Kobane and Manbij by Sunday night to help secure the cities from a Turkish-led offensive in northern Syria.
"We agreed with the Russians and the [Assad] regime to enter Kobane tonight," Hassan told RT.
"We did everything we could," he said. "We have called upon the West [and] the Arab League but no one is coming to help, so we have no one other than ourselves to defend [Kobane].
"We agreed with the regime and the Russians to come to Kobane," he added.
Neither the SDF nor Russia have confirmed such an agreement exists.
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