Trump’s Abandonment of the Kurds Appeases Erdoğan and Infuriates Republicans
The Political Scene | The New Yorker
The New Yorker
4.3 • 3.9K Ratings
🗓️ 11 October 2019
⏱️ 23 minutes
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Summary
Last Sunday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan informed President Trump of his intention to launch a military offensive in northeastern Syria, in an effort to eradicate the Kurdish militias there. Trump agreed to draw down American troops to clear the way for the Turkish army. Though Erdoğan regards those militias as terrorist groups, the Kurds have been close American allies in the battle against ISIS. Trump’s decision was met with harsh criticism by high-ranking Republicans, U.S. military officials, and others. Dexter Filkins joins Dorothy Wickenden to discuss how the incursion into Syria is affecting one of the most volatile regions in the world, and what it could mean for Trump’s Presidency.
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| 1:11.7 | This is the political scene, a weekly conversation with New Yorker writers and guests about politics. |
| 1:18.1 | It's Friday, October 11th. I'm Dorothy Wickenden, executive editor of The New Yorker. |
| 1:23.9 | On Sunday night, in a phone conversation with Trump, President Erdogan of Turkey disclosed |
| 1:29.7 | his intention to launch a military offensive in northeastern Syria to clear out the Kurdish-led |
| 1:35.5 | militia that has fought for five years alongside the U.S. in the war against ISIS. During the |
| 1:42.3 | call, Trump agreed to pull back the American troops stationed in |
| 1:46.1 | northeastern Syria, where Erdogan says his goal is to create a safe zone to protect his |
| 1:51.8 | country from Kurdish fighters he regards as terrorists. Three days later, Turkey invaded northern |
| 1:59.0 | Syria and launched airstrikes, displacing tens of thousands |
| 2:03.0 | of people. |
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