Washington better rein in slimy Turkish President Erdogan — before Americans get hurt
NY Post Editorial Board
Washington needs to do something about Turkish strongman Recep Tayyip Erdogan. And if Team Biden won’t, then the incoming Trump folks must.
No sooner had the Assad regime collapsed than the Turkish military attacked the northern Syrian town of Manbij, which has been under the control of US-backed Kurdish forces.
Turkey sent warplanes to support rebel fighters battling the Syrian Defense Forces, which are backed by the United States. A Turkish drone exploded at a Kurdish military base.
At least 22 SDF members were reportedly killed, and 40 others wounded.
On Monday, after Kurdish forces withdrew from Manbij, the Turkish-backed fighters took control.
Again, these are US allies, helping to keep ISIS and other terrorists from resurging. About 900 US troops work with them to control the area; fortunately no Americans were hurt, this time.
Yet Turkey put all of them in harm’s way — even though it’s technically a US ally itself, as a member of NATO.
True, as Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin noted, Erdogan has longstanding “security concerns” about extremist Kurdish separatists, who want their own nation.
But Erdogan is clearly aiming to capitalize on the power vacuum created by Bashar al-Assad’s fall and extend his influence.
Turkey and its proxies in Syria are “looking to utilize the current chaos to rewrite the map in Turkey’s favor,” explains the Washington Institute for Near East Policy’s Devorah Margolin.
“They are using the distraction of Damascus to continue to grab power during this time of chaos and to undermine the SDF, ensuring its negotiating power is weakened.”
And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
Remember, Erdogan has long been a troublesome force throughout the Middle East, particularly in his virulent hostility toward another US ally: Israel.
He forged closer relations with Russia after a conflict some years back, purchasing key military equipment, such as the S-400 air defense system.
And he’s been ruthless even to his own people, clamping down on journalists and dissidents.
Donald Trump will be taking office in just six weeks, long before the dust in Syria settles.
He should let Erdogan know — in no uncertain terms — that any further belligerence form Turkey anywhere in the Middle East, particularly if it poses risks to US forces and their allies, won’t be tolerated.
The Turkish leader better watch his step or prepare to face consequences come Jan. 20.
