Erdogan Cancels Meeting with Bolton

Turkish media reports that Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the President of Turkey, canceled a meeting with John Bolton, the U.S. National Security Advisor, who was visiting Ankara, in protest against U.S. conditions regarding Syria. However, senior Turkish officials provided a different account regarding the cancellation of the meeting. Mr. Bolton stated a day before his trip to Turkey, on Sunday in Israel, that the U.S. would withdraw its troops from Syria only after the remaining ISIS forces are defeated and guarantees are obtained that Turkey would not attack and kill the Syrian Kurds. His remarks came 18 days after Donald Trump announced the 'defeat of ISIS' and ordered the withdrawal of American troops from Syria on December 19. It was expected that the U.S. National Security Advisor would meet with the Turkish President during his visit to Ankara, but according to Turkey's Anadolu Agency, Erdogan said on Tuesday that if the meeting with Bolton was essential, it would certainly have taken place. Meanwhile, the Turkish President described Bolton's statements in Israel as a 'big mistake' and 'unacceptable' during a meeting with representatives of the 'Justice and Development Party.' He referred to the Syrian Kurds, whom the U.S. has urged Turkey to refrain from attacking, as 'terrorist groups.' Erdogan stated that the PKK and PYD (Democratic Union Party of Syrian Kurds) war against ISIS is 'a big lie,' just as the claim that Turkey attacks Kurds in Syria is a 'vile, ugly, and shameless accusation.' He also mentioned that Turkey would 'soon begin a new operation to destroy all terrorist groups in Syria' and has 'completed the necessary preparations for this operation in large quantities.' Despite the cancellation of the meeting between the Turkish President and the U.S. National Security Advisor, Erdogan emphasized on Tuesday that his upcoming meeting with Donald Trump is of 'great importance.' At the same time, Ibrahim Kalin, the spokesman for the Turkish Presidency, stated regarding the reasons for the non-occurrence of the Erdogan-Bolton meeting that a request for a meeting (from the U.S.) had been made, but there was no 'definitive arrangement.' According to Kalin, he and other senior Turkish officials had 'comprehensive discussions' with Mr. Bolton, although reports from Turkish media indicated that the cancellation of a joint press conference between Ibrahim Kalin and the U.S. National Security Advisor also suggested that negotiations had not gone well. However, Kalin told reporters that reaching an agreement between Turkey and the U.S. regarding the timeline for the U.S. withdrawal from Syria was on the agenda of negotiations with Bolton, and the American delegation stated that this would take place in 120 days instead of 60 to 100 days; 'which means a few more days that are not very significant.' Ibrahim Kalin stated that what is important is 'what will happen to the fate of the American bases and the weaponry that the U.S. has provided to the YPG/PKK terrorist group, and when and how will U.S. support for the YPG (People's Protection Units) come to an end, given the heavy cost it has incurred.' He said that if his country decides to conduct operations in Syria, it 'will not seek permission from anyone,' but is 'always interested in coordinating with allies.' Donald Trump and John Bolton have emphasized that Turkey should not undertake military operations in Syria without coordinating with the U.S. Meanwhile, the leader of the Syrian Democratic Union Party (PYD), whose forces have been allied with the U.S. and trained by American officers to fight ISIS in Syria, stated on Tuesday that if Turkey begins a new operation in the Euphrates region, the Kurds are ready to respond.