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Turkey determined to continue fight against Kurdish units despite Trump’s threats

Trump said earlier on Twitter that the United States would "devastate Turkey economically if they hit the Kurds" following the withdrawal of US troops from Syria

© AP Photo/Evan Vucci

ANKARA, January 14. /TASS/. Ankara is determined to continue its fight against Kurdish units in Syria despite US President Donald Trump’s threat to devastate Turkey economically if it hit the Kurds, Turkish Presidential Spokesman Ibrahim Kalin said on Twitter on Monday.

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Russia cautions US not to ignore Turkey’s position on Syrian Kurds, says Lavrov

"Mr. Trump, terrorists can’t be your partners and allies. Turkey expects the US to honor our strategic partnership and doesn’t want it to be shadowed by terrorist propaganda. There is no difference between DAESH [the Islamic State terror group outlawed in Russia - TASS], PKK [the Kurdistan Workers' Party], PYD [the Democratic Union Party] and YPG [People's Protection Units]. We will continue to fight against them all," the tweet reads.

"It is a fatal mistake to equate Syrian Kurds with the PKK, which is on the US terrorists list, and its Syria branch PYD/YPG. Turkey fights against terrorists, not Kurds. We will protect the Kurds and other Syrians against all terrorist threats," Kalin noted in another tweet.

Trump said earlier on Twitter that the United States would "devastate Turkey economically if they hit the Kurds" following the withdrawal of US troops from Syria. At the same time, according to the US president, Washington does not "want the Kurds to provoke Turkey". In this connection, Trump called for creating a "20 mile safe zone."

Starting the long overdue pullout from Syria while hitting the little remaining ISIS territorial caliphate hard, and from many directions. Will attack again from existing nearby base if it reforms. Will devastate Turkey economically if they hit Kurds. Create 20 mile safe zone....
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) 13 January 2019

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