ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — A senior U. S. official trying to negotiate the safety of Kurdish allies in northeastern Syria was apparently rebuffed by Turkey…
ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — A senior U. S. official trying to negotiate the safety of Kurdish allies in northeastern Syria was apparently rebuffed by Turkey ’s president who said Tuesday there would be “no concession” in Ankara ’s push against terror groups in the war-torn country.
White House National Security Adviser John R. Bolton met for roughly two hours with his Turkish counterpart Ibrahim Kalin and other senior officials at Ankara ’s presidency complex but got no assurances on the safety Syrian Kurdish allies — a condition for President Donald Trump ’s planned withdrawal of U. S. troops from northeastern Syria .
Bolton relayed Trump ’s insistence that Turkey refrain from attacking Kurdish forces that fought alongside U. S. troops against the Islamic State group, a guarantee Turkey appeared unwilling to grant.
“They had a productive discussion of the President’s decision to withdraw at a proper pace from Northeast Syria,” spokesman Garrett Marquis said in a statement, adding that direct military to military talks would continue Tuesday.
Shortly after Bolton ’s meetings and in an apparent snub to the U. S. diplomatic push, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Ankara ’s preparations for a new military offensive against terror groups in Syria are “to a large extent” complete.
“We cannot make any concessions,” Erdogan said, and also slammed Bolton over comments suggesting the United States would prevent attacks on Kurds.
Turkey insists its military actions are aimed at Kurdish fighters in Syria — the Syrian Kurdish Peoples Protection Units, or YPG — whom it regards as terrorists, and not against the Kurdish people. That has been Ankara longtime position and Turkey rejected any role for Kurdish fighters in restoring peace to the war-torn region.
Bolton is to depart Turkey without meeting with Erdogan, which U. S. officials said Saturday was expected. Marquis said U. S. officials were told Erdogan cited the local election season and a speech to parliament for not meeting with Bolton .
Trump ’s shifting timetable for pulling U. S. troops out of Syria has left allies and other players in the region confused and jockeying for influence over a withdrawal strategy that appeared to be a work in progress.
