Turkey's Reaction to Trump's Warning About Attacking Kurds: We Are Not Afraid of Threats

One day after U.S. President Donald Trump's warning that Turkey would be 'economically devastated' if it attacked Kurdish militants, Turkey's Foreign Minister stated that the country is not afraid of such threats. According to AFP, Mevlut Cavusoglu, speaking on Monday, January 14, during a meeting with his Luxembourg counterpart in Ankara, said, 'We have repeatedly said that we are not afraid and we do not let any threats intimidate us.' He emphasized that 'economic threats against Turkey will not lead anywhere,' but added that Turkey does not oppose the establishment of a 'security zone' in Syria. Donald Trump warned that if Turkey attacks the Kurdish militants allied with the Washington-led coalition, it would be 'economically devastated.' The Syrian Kurds have been a strategic ally of the U.S. in the fight against the Islamic State (ISIS), and the recent announcement of the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Syria has made their situation vulnerable. Trump also urged the Kurds not to 'provoke' Turkey and stated that a '30-kilometer buffer zone' would be established. On Sunday, Trump tweeted, 'If Turkey attacks the Kurds, the United States will destroy Turkey's economy.' On Monday, Turkey's Foreign Minister criticized Trump's use of social media, stating that 'discussions between strategic partners and allies should not be conducted through Twitter and social media.' Meanwhile, Ibrahim Kalin, spokesperson for the Turkish President, also responded to Trump's tweet early Monday, saying, 'Mr. Donald Trump, terrorists cannot be your partners and allies. Turkey expects the United States to respect our strategic partnership and does not want this partnership to be overshadowed by terrorist propaganda. There is no difference between ISIS, PKK, PYD, and YPG. We will continue our fight against all of them.' Ankara considers the U.S.-backed Kurdish militants to be a branch of the PKK, which it deems a terrorist organization. While the U.S. also designates the PKK as a terrorist group, it does not apply the same definition to the People's Protection Units (YPG) and the Kurdish militants allied with the coalition in Syria. Turkey's response to Trump comes as U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo expressed optimism two days earlier in Abu Dhabi about reaching an agreement that would be acceptable to Ankara and ensure the security of the U.S.-backed Kurdish militants in Syria. Pompeo told reporters, 'We are confident that we can reach a result that encompasses both issues.' Meanwhile, on Saturday, Turkish state media reported on military exercises by the Turkish army at the Syrian borders, and Reuters reported that the Turkish army had sent troops, armored vehicles, and tanks to reinforce its forces at the Syrian border for the second consecutive day.