Erdogan Warns U.S. Troops in Syria to Keep Away From Kurd Forces
- Turk leader bashes U.S. general’s threat to retaliate if hit
- Questions alliance and ‘strategic partnership’ with the U.S.
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Turkey’s leader lashed out against U.S. support of Kurdish militants in Syria, brandishing the prospect of an “Ottoman slap” after an American general threatened retaliation if his forces were hit by Turkey.
“It’s obvious that those who say, ‘If you hit us, we’ll hit back hard,’ have never in their lives gotten an Ottoman slap,” President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in a speech at parliament on Tuesday, responding to remarks by the top U.S. commander in Syria to the New York Times. “If those who come and go as they like through Turkey think they’re going to go stirring things up in places without paying for it, they’ll soon see that’s not the case."