Erdogan Threatens Action Against U.S.-Backed Kurds in Syria
- Turkish leader demands U.S. stop protecting Kurdish militia
- National Security Council to take ‘important’ decisions
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Turkey can’t stand idly by while being menaced by U.S.-backed Kurdish fighters in Syria, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced Tuesday as the country’s National Security Council said Turkey will exercise its right to self defense against threats emanating from Syria.
Turkey is outraged by a recent U.S. decision to establish observation posts in northern Syria, which Washington says are meant to warn Turkey of any dangers heading its way. Erdogan, however, sees the move as protecting Kurdish YPG militants Turkey classifies as terrorists for their ties to the separatist PKK group, which has battled the Turkish military for decades in the country’s southeast.