Erdogan: US ‘seriously mistaken’ on Syrian Kurd fighters’ safety

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has denounced comments by a senior US official urging protection for Kurdish allies as “seriously mistaken”. 

US National Security Adviser John Bolton held talks in Ankara on Tuesday on the handling of armed groups in northern Syria and the US’ planned pullout of its forces there. 

During his visit to Israel on Sunday, Bolton set conditions for the US pullout from Syria that included Turkey guaranteeing the safety of Kurdish fighters who spearheaded the fight against Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL, ISIS).

“We cannot accept the message Bolton gave from Israel, we cannot be deceived by it,” Erdogan said in a speech to his AK Party.

Trump announced the withdrawal of some 2,000 US troops from Syria last month in a statement that shocked many politicians in Washington, along with Western and Kurdish allies who fought alongside the US in the war-torn country.

Turkey considers Kurdish armed groups such as the People’s Protection Units (YPG) – the Americans’ main local ally in the region – to be “terrorists”.

“The US apparently does not know them,” said Erdogan. “These terror organisations do not represent my Kurdish brothers. If the US sees these groups as [representatives of] my Kurdish brothers, they are seriously mistaken.”

Erdogan also said his country completed preperations for a new military operation in Syria, comments likely to antagonize his American allies.