(Worthy News) – The U.S. and Turkey moved closer to an open rift Sunday, with the Trump administration expressing deep concern as Turkish ground forces crossed into northern Syria in a bid to rid the area of U.S.-backed Kurdish militias.
Ankara sees the Kurdish force as an ally to a violent Turkish Kurdish separatist movement it has been battling for decades. Washington sees the Syrian Kurds as critical allies in the fight against Islamic State and a longer-term asset against Syrian President Bashar Assad in any settlement of the country’s brutal civil war.
“We urge Turkey to exercise restraint and ensure that its military operations remain limited in scope and duration and scrupulous to avoid civilian casualties,” said State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert in a statement Sunday. [ Source: Washington Times (Read More…) ]