Turkish President Erdogan is responsible for the instability in Syria

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is responsible for the instability in Syria with his decision to lodge an attack on U.S. Kurdish allies who helped in the fight against the Islamic State (ISIS), U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in an interview with FOX Business on Wednesday.

U.S. President Donald Trump on Oct. 6 decided to withdraw the U.S. troops near the Turkish border after a phone call with Erdoğan. The move has been denounced by many, including Trump’s devoted supporters, as the betrayal of a key ally and a naive strategy that will allow ISIS to reform and wreak havoc.

Trump has rebuked Turkey for its offensive after effectively endorsing the operation three days before it was launched, saying he did not give green light to Turkey’s invasion.

“We should never mistake who the actor is that has caused this disruption there. It wasn’t the United States, it wasn’t the European countries that were there in Syria alongside of us; it was President Erdogan who is responsible for this instability,” Pompeo said.

Meanwhile, U.S. Vice President Mike Pence is leading a delegation due to arrive in Turkey late on Wednesday to try to reach a ceasefire despite Erdoğan having dismissed such an option.

The Turkish president has created “enormous risk in the region” with his decision to attack northeast Syria, resulting in widespread casualties, displaced people and the possible resurgence of ISIS, Pompeo said.

“It’s precisely the reason we’re headed there today, to try and take down that set of risk – most importantly for the United States, to ensure that the work that has been done to reduce the risk to the American people, which after all is our first and foremost priority, to reduce the risk to the American people, is fully addressed,” the U.S. Secretary of State said.

Source: Ahval News