Trump betrays Kurds in schmooze with Erdogan

Bill Weinberg

In their White House meeting May 16, President Trump and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan of course pledged cooperation in the fight against terrorism. But what is signficant is that Trump, probably none too sophistcated about the complexities of factional politics in the region, was sure to mention the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) by name: "We support Turkey in the first fight against terror and terror groups like ISIS and the PKK, and ensure they have no safe quarter. We also appreciate Turkey's leadership in seeking an end to the horrific killing in Syria."

Right, but apparently not the horrific killing in eastern Turkey, where Erdogan is waging his own counterinsurgency campaign against the PKK, with horrific atroctieis and thousands displaced. This was obviously a script handed to Trump, and intended as compensation for his new plan to arm the Syrian Kurds against ISIS. The UPI account of the meeting tellingly points out that neither Trump nor Erdogan mentioned the YPG—the Syrian Kurdish militia (closely allied with the PKK) that will be receiving US arms under the plan.

Trump's words were of course regurgitating Turkey's cynical propaganda game of conflating the secular-democratic Kurdish forces and ISIS as equally "terrorist." This irony is all the more perverse given that Turkey has itself been conniving with ISIS against the Kurds for much of the war. 

Note also that Trump called to congratulate Erdogan last month on his victory in a much-disputed referendum expanding his powers—clearly leading to the consolidation of a dictatorship in Turkey.

The US has been walking a tightrope in northern Syria—backing the Kurds as the most effective force on the ground against ISIS, while still appeasing NATO ally Turkey. This is political schizophrenia in action, and sooner or later something will have to give. Surely the Syrian Kurdish leadership is cognizant of the risk that they will be kicked overboard and betrayed to Turkish aggression as soon as ISIS has been routed…

  1. White House donnybrook during Erdogan visit

    Nine people were hurt and two arrests were made during an altercation at the Turkish ambassador’s residence in the US capital during the visit by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. According to witnesses, a brawl erupted when Erdoğan’s security detail attacked protesters carrying the flag of the Syrian Kurdish PYD party outside the residence. Erdoğan was either inside the building at the time, or looking on from his limo just outside, by varying reports. (NYT, BoingBoing, May 18; The Guardian, May 17)

    1. Erdogan bristles over US charges against his goons

      Erdogan is anglriy protesting reports that charges have been brought against 12 of his henchmen in the White House donnybrook. "What kind of a rule, what kind of a law is this?" he fumed. "If those bodyguards would not protect me, why I am bringing them with me to the US?" (NYT, June 15) 

  2. Manhattan hotel donnybrook during Erdogan speech

    Violence broke out at a New York hotel Sept. 21 when protesters disrupted a speech by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey. In the middle of Erdogan’s speech, one protester screamed: "You’re a terrorist. Get out of my country!" The ballroom at the Marriott Marquis hotel in Times Square instantly erupted, with many attendees chanting Erdogan’s name to drown out the protesters. Videos showed the protesters—one wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with a picture of Michael Israel, an American who was killed in a Turkish airstrike while volunteering with the YPG—being punched and slapped by several attendees as security personnel removed them from the room. Security also removed at least one person who had assaulted the protesters. (NYT, Daily News)