Turkey urges US to honour partnership after Trump warns of economic devastation

Trump tweeted earlier about the United States starting its pullout from Syria, while hitting the remaining Islamic State fighters there.

Tayyip Erdogan, Donald Trump, Turkey-US relations, White House, Syria conflict, Jamal Khashoggi, World news, Indian Express — Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan has vowed to crush the Kurdish militia in the wake of Trump’s decision to pull US troops out of the region. (Sources: Reuters)

President Tayyip Erdogan’s spokesman said on Monday Turkey expected the United States to honour their strategic partnership after US President Donald Trump warned it would devastate Turkey economically if they attack a Kurdish militia in Syria.

Relations between the two NATO allies have been strained over US backing for the Kurdish YPG, which Turkey views as an extension of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) that is waging a decades-long insurgency on Turkish soil.

“Mr @realDonaldTrump It is a fatal mistake to equate Syrian Kurds with the PKK, which is on the US terrorists list, and its Syria branch PYD/YPG,” spokesman Ibrahim Kalin wrote on Twitter.