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A2 UP FRONT
Wednesday 16 OctOber 2019
Trump threatens to 'destroy' Turkey's economy with sanctions
By ROBERT BURNS The Turks began attacks
AP National Security Writer in Syria last week against
WASHINGTON (AP) — Tar- the Syrian Kurdish fighters,
geting Turkey's economy, whom the Turks see as ter-
President Donald Trump an- rorists.
nounced sanctions aimed \On Monday, Syrian gov-
at restraining the Turks' as- ernment troops moved
sault against Kurdish fight- north toward the border
ers and civilians in Syria — region, setting up a poten-
an assault Turkey began tial clash with Turkish-led
after Trump announced he forces.
was moving U.S. troops out Trump said Turkey's inva-
of the way. sion is "precipitating a hu-
Some of those U.S. troops manitarian crisis and set-
leaving northern Syria are ting conditions for possible
being shifted to Iraq, where war crimes," a reference to
they could conduct cross- reports of Turkish-backed
border operations against fighters executing Kurdish
Islamic State group mili- fighters on the battlefield.
tants, a U.S. official said. Vice President Mike Pence, with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, left, and national security The Kurdish forces previ-
The United States also adviser Robert O'Brien, speaks to reporters outside the West Wing of the White House, Monday, ously allied with the U.S.
called on Turkey to stop Oct. 14, 2019, in Washington. said they had reached a
the invasion and declare Associated Press deal with President Bashar
a cease-fire, and Trump Assad's government to help
is sending Vice President security adviser Robert as possible in an attempt to to battle the Islamic State them fend off Turkey's inva-
Mike Pence and national O'Brien to Ankara as soon begin negotiations. Pence in northern Syria are leav- sion, a move that brings
said on Monday that Trump ing the country. They will Russian forces deeper into
spoke directly to Turkish remain in the Middle East, the conflict.
leader Recep Tayyip Erdo- he said, to "monitor the In his sanctions announce-
gan, who promised not to situation" and to prevent a ment, Trump said he was
attack the border town of revival of IS — a goal that halting negotiations on a
Kobani, which in 2015 wit- even Trump's allies say has $100 billion trade deal with
nessed the Islamic State become much more dif- Turkey and raising steel tar-
group's first defeat in a bat- ficult as a result of the U.S. iffs back up to 50%. Trump
tle by U.S.-backed Kurdish pullout. also imposed sanctions on
fighters. The U.S. troops being with- three senior Turkish officials
"President Trump commu- drawn from northern Syria and Turkey's defense and
nicated to him very clearly will reposition in Iraq, Kuwait energy ministries.
that the United States of and possibly Jordan, ac- "I am fully prepared to swift-
America wants Turkey to cording to the U.S. official, ly destroy Turkey's economy
stop the invasion, imple- who spoke to The Associat- if Turkish leaders continue
ment an immediate cease- ed Press on Tuesday on the down this dangerous and
fire and to begin to nego- condition of anonymity to destructive path," Trump
tiate with Kurdish forces in discuss sensitive planning said.
Syria to bring an end to the for the U.S. pullout. Treasury Secretary Steven
violence," Pence said. The official said the Ameri- Mnuchin said the sanctions
The Americans were can troops have pulled out will hurt an already weak
scrambling for Syria's exits, of the Manbij area, where Turkish economy. Pence
a move criticized at home U.S. outposts were set up said the U.S. will continue to
and abroad as opening in 2017. Troops are con- ramp up the sanctions "un-
the door to a resurgence solidating their positions to less Turkey is willing to em-
of the Islamic State group, prepare to fly out of the brace a cease-fire, come
whose violent takeover of country soon. to the negotiating table
Syrian and Iraqi lands five The official said the U.S. and end the violence."
years ago was the reason troops in Iraq could per- American troops con-
American forces went in form operations against solidated their positions in
the first place. the IS militants in Syria as northern Syria on Monday
Trump said the approxi- they did before creating and prepared to evacuate
mately 1,000 U.S. troops the now-abandoned part- equipment in advance of
who had been partnering nership with Kurdish-led Syr- a full withdrawal, a U.S. de-
with local Kurdish fighters ian Democratic Forces. fense official said.q
