US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo announced on Tuesday that if Turkey decide to attack Kurds in Syria after US withdrawal, it would not be without consequences.
“President Trump made very clear his expectations with respect to how Turkey would treat those to his south inside of Syria,” said Pompeo during a televised interview with Iceland’s RUV channel.
US president Donald Trump announced on December 19 that ISIS has been defeated in Syria and all 2000 US troops will soon withdraw from the country.
The decision brought huge criticism on Trump’s administration both locally and internationally, fearing further escalation of conflicts between different military parts.
Ankara considers Kurdish groups as “terrorists” and has frequently vowed to destroy Kurdish armed group YPG, who have been an effective force in fighting ISIS and an US ally in the region.
“He (Trump) said that there will be a real cost associated with behavior in that way, and we fully engaged diplomatically to deliver an outcome which protects the folks that are in Syria as well as ensures that those people in Syria aren’t attacking Turkey as well,” he added.
