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US defence secretary Mark Esper slams Turkey over Syria invasion, says it is ‘heading in the wrong direction’
- Esper lashed out at Turkey, saying its ‘unwarranted’ military assault in Syria jeopardises gains made against Islamic State
- He also repeated warnings about the increasing threats from China and Russia
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After spending four tumultuous days engulfed in the chaotic ramifications of the withdrawal of US troops from Syria, US Defence Secretary Mark Esper lashed out on Thursday at Turkey for its military assault across the border on Syrian Kurdish fighters.
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Speaking at the German Marshall Fund in Brussels, Esper said Turkey’s “unwarranted” invasion into Syria jeopardises gains made there in recent years as the US-led coalition and allied Syrian Kurdish forces battled Islamic State group.
Turkey, he said, is “heading in the wrong direction”, and is getting closer to Russia.
“Turkey put us all in a very terrible situation,” he said, adding that Ankara needs to return to being the “responsible ally” it has been in the past.
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His comments come on the heels of US President Donald Trump’s announcement on Wednesday that the US is lifting sanctions on Turkey after the Nato ally agreed to permanently stop fighting Kurdish forces in Syria. And he spoke just a day after he was in Iraq to discuss the withdrawal and Islamic State threat with Iraqi leaders and his military commanders
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