Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announced his country would be invading northeastern Syria.
The announcement came by Twitter on Wednesday, with Erdoğan saying his country plans to “destroy” the “terror” at Turkey’s southern border.
Barış Pınarı Harekatı ile,
Ülkemize yönelik terör tehdidini bertaraf edeceğiz.
Oluşturacağımız GÜVENLİ BÖLGE sayesinde Suriyeli sığınmacıların ülkelerine dönmelerini sağlayacağız.
Suriye’nin toprak bütünlüğünü koruyacak, tüm bölge halkını terörün pençesinden kurtaracağız.— Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (@RTErdogan) October 9, 2019
The invasion comes after President Trump announced earlier this week that the United States would be pulling all troops from the region.
The move by Trump brought widespread condemnation from both Republicans and Democrats.
Rep. Liz Cheney, a top House Republican, called the latest news “sickening” and blamed the president for allowing it to happen.
“News from Syria is sickening. Turkish troops preparing to invade Syria from the north, Russian-backed forces from the south, ISIS fighters attacking Raqqa. Impossible to understand why @realDonaldTrump is leaving America’s allies to be slaughtered and enabling the return of ISIS,” Cheney said Wednesday on Twitter.
[Daily on Defense newsletter: Stung by criticism he’s stabbing Kurds in the back, Trump tries to change green light to yellow on Turkish assault]
News from Syria is sickening. Turkish troops preparing to invade Syria from the north, Russian-backed forces from the south, ISIS fighters attacking Raqqa. Impossible to understand why @realDonaldTrump is leaving America’s allies to be slaughtered and enabling the return of ISIS
— Liz Cheney (@Liz_Cheney) October 9, 2019
Turkey gathered troops on its southern border this week in preparation for its invasion of Syria’s northern border. Erdoğan claims he wants to make a “safe zone” against terrorism, but the region is occupied by American allies, the Kurds. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told reporters over the weekend that the Trump administration “made clear that this conflict shouldn’t be militarized.”
Trump insisted he had “in no way” abandoned the Kurds and warned Turkey against “unforced or unnecessary fighting.” A spokesperson for Kurdish fighters said Turkish warplanes have already begun their attacks.
AP: A spokesman for Kurdish fighters in northern Syria says Turkish warplanes have started attacking the region.
— Jesse Rodriguez (@JesseRodriguez) October 9, 2019
Video of bombings appeared online even before Erdoğan made his announcement. Eyewitnesses and reporters said the airstrikes and bombings had begun on Tuesday.
Turkey has started bombing the Semelka Border Crossing at the Syria-Iraq border.
U.S. troops are still withdrawing from the area!
This is horrific. We are on the verge of a genocide green lit by an American President.pic.twitter.com/hFEikDiEUv
— Minh Ngo (@minhtngo) October 7, 2019
First images of Turkey bombing Syrian Kurds in Northern Syria. It’s called ‘Operation Peace Spring’ and 2 civilians have already been killed. pic.twitter.com/bE0QGZe1qN#WednesdayWisdom #KurdsBetrayedByTrump #Kurds
— Belle (@BellSchmid) October 9, 2019
Turkey army started bombing near border of Northern Syria and Turkey https://t.co/4x5woKzx15 pic.twitter.com/fkmKDtRaDd via @HanaComani #Syria
— Liveuamap MiddleEast (@lummideast) October 7, 2019
Video also shows people trying to escape the bombings. “The world bears responsibility for the new tragedy in NE #Syria,” Shervan Derwish, a spokesperson for the Manbij Military Council, said on Twitter.
The world bears responsibility for the new tragedy in NE #Syria. @cmoc_sdf @CJTFOIR @oirdcom @CENTCOMArabic @CENTCOM pic.twitter.com/KupHtzx5Te
— Shervan Derwish (@shervanderwish) October 9, 2019
25 jets fly all over the border cities and bombardment. @cmoc_sdf @CENTCOM @UN @StateDept pic.twitter.com/rJzKvoCjZ7
— Shervan Derwish (@shervanderwish) October 9, 2019
