Turkey's military struck the Syrian-Iraqi border to prevent <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/we-may-be-in-process-of-leaving-syria-but-in-no-way-have-we-abandoned-the-kurds-trump-254577">Kurdish forces using the route</a> to reinforce northeast Syria, as Ankara prepared to attack following a surprise US troop pullback, Turkish officials said on Tuesday.

Turkey said it is ready to advance into northeast Syria now that the United States has begun withdrawing troops from the Turkey-Syria frontier in an abrupt policy shift by US President Donald Trump widely criticised in Washington as a betrayal of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/as-turkey-united-states-spar-over-syrian-operation-kurdish-forces-feel-vulnerable-254450">America's allies, the Kurds</a>.

As Turkish troops finalise plans, the government's scheme to move millions of refugees into conquered territory in northeast Syria is alarming some Western allies as much as the military operation itself.

Watch Video:

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/us-prez-warned-turkey-against-hurting-us-soldiers-during-their-operation-254364/embed" width="560" height="350" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" autoplay=1 allowfullscreen></iframe></div>

For Turkey, which views Kurdish YPG fighters in northeast Syria as terrorists because of their ties to militants waging an insurgency inside Turkey, an influx of non-Kurdish Syrians would help it secure a buffer against its main security threat.

The US move will leave Kurdish-led forces long allied to Washington vulnerable to attack by the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK).

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan will visit the United States on November 13 at Trump's invitation, a White House spokesman said. On Monday, Erdogan said US troops had started to withdraw after a phone call he had with Trump, adding that talks between Turkish and US officials on the matter would continue.

On Tuesday, a US official said US defense secretary Mark Esper and chairman of the joint chiefs of staff General Mark Milley took part in the phone call, but the official did not provide further details.

"Given the likely military issues raised on the call between (Trump) and President Erdogan, Secretary of Defense Esper and Chairman Milley participated on the call," said the official.

Earlier, the Pentagon said Esper and Milley had been consulted by Trump "over the last several days" about a possible Turkish strike in Syria.

"Unfortunately, Turkey has chosen to act unilaterally. As a result we have moved the US forces in northern Syria out of the path of potential Turkish incursion to ensure their safety," US Defense Department spokesman Jonathan Hoffman said in a statement.

A Turkish security official said one of the main goals of the overnight strike was to cut off a transit route between Iraq and Syria often used by Kurdish armed groups "before the operation in Syria".

It was unclear what damage was done or whether there were casualties. Details of the strike, a joint operation by Turkey's intelligence service and the military, were hazy. One official described them as an air strike, while the other said the site was made "unusable through various means".

Trump denied he had abandoned the Kurdish forces, the most effective US partners in fighting Islamic State(IS) in Syria. But he praised Turkey as a trade partner, in a softening of tone hours after threatening to "totally destroy" Turkey's economy if it acted "off limits" in Syria.

Amid deepening humanitarian concerns, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged all parties in northeast Syria to exercise maximum restraint and protect civilians.

Signalling a further potential shift in the region's power balance, the Kurdish-led forces said they might start talks with the Syrian government and Russia to fill a security vacuum in the event of a full US withdrawal.

Turkey sought to underscore its determination to act. "The TSK will never tolerate the establishment of a terror corridor on our borders. All preparations for the operation have been completed," the Turkish Defence Ministry said. 
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Turkey's military struck the Syrian-Iraqi border to prevent Kurdish forces using the route to reinforce northeast Syria, as Ankara prepared to attack following a surprise US troop pullback, Turkish officials said on Tuesday.

Turkey's military struck the Syrian-Iraqi border to prevent Kurdish forces using the route to reinforce northeast Syria, as Ankara prepared to attack following a surprise US troop pullback, Turkish officials said on Tuesday. Turkey said it is ready to advance into northeast Syria now that the United States has begun withdrawing troops from the Turkey-Syria frontier in an abrupt policy shift by US President Donald Trump widely criticised in Washington as a betrayal of America's allies, the Kurds. As Turkish troops finalise plans, the government's scheme to move millions of refugees into conquered territory in northeast Syria is alarming some Western allies as much as the military operation itself. Watch Video: For Turkey, which views Kurdish YPG fighters in northeast Syria as terrorists because of their ties to militants waging an insurgency inside Turkey, an influx of non-Kurdish Syrians would help it secure a buffer against its main security threat. The US move will leave Kurdish-led forces long allied to Washington vulnerable to attack by the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK). Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan will visit the United States on November 13 at Trump's invitation, a White House spokesman said. On Monday, Erdogan said US troops had started to withdraw after a phone call he had with Trump, adding that talks between Turkish and US officials on the matter would continue. On Tuesday, a US official said US defense secretary Mark Esper and chairman of the joint chiefs of staff General Mark Milley took part in the phone call, but the official did not provide further details. "Given the likely military issues raised on the call between (Trump) and President Erdogan, Secretary of Defense Esper and Chairman Milley participated on the call," said the official. Earlier, the Pentagon said Esper and Milley had been consulted by Trump "over the last several days" about a possible Turkish strike in Syria. "Unfortunately, Turkey has chosen to act unilaterally. As a result we have moved the US forces in northern Syria out of the path of potential Turkish incursion to ensure their safety," US Defense Department spokesman Jonathan Hoffman said in a statement. A Turkish security official said one of the main goals of the overnight strike was to cut off a transit route between Iraq and Syria often used by Kurdish armed groups "before the operation in Syria". It was unclear what damage was done or whether there were casualties. Details of the strike, a joint operation by Turkey's intelligence service and the military, were hazy. One official described them as an air strike, while the other said the site was made "unusable through various means". Trump denied he had abandoned the Kurdish forces, the most effective US partners in fighting Islamic State(IS) in Syria. But he praised Turkey as a trade partner, in a softening of tone hours after threatening to "totally destroy" Turkey's economy if it acted "off limits" in Syria. Amid deepening humanitarian concerns, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged all parties in northeast Syria to exercise maximum restraint and protect civilians. Signalling a further potential shift in the region's power balance, the Kurdish-led forces said they might start talks with the Syrian government and Russia to fill a security vacuum in the event of a full US withdrawal. Turkey sought to underscore its determination to act. "The TSK will never tolerate the establishment of a terror corridor on our borders. All preparations for the operation have been completed," the Turkish Defence Ministry said.

Turkey strikes in Syrian-Iraqi border ahead of planned offensive

Turkey said on Tuesday it had completed preparations for a military operation in northeast Syria after the<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/iran-opposes-syria-military-action-javad-zarif-tells-turkey-254396"> United States began pulling back troops</a>, opening the way for a Turkish attack on Kurdish-led forces long allied to Washington.

But US President Donald Trump warned he<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-threatens-to-obliterate-turkeys-economy-over-syria-254345"> would "obliterate" the NATO ally's economy</a> if it took action in Syria that he considered "off-limits" following his decision on Sunday to pull 50 American special forces troops from the border region.

The US withdrawal will leave its Kurdish-led partner forces in Syria vulnerable to an incursion by the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK), which brands them terrorists because of their links to Kurdish militants who have waged a long insurgency inside Turkey.

"The TSK will never tolerate the establishment of a terror corridor on our borders. All preparations for the operation have been completed," the Turkish Defence Ministry said on Twitter early on Tuesday.

"It is essential to establish a safe zone/peace corridor to contribute to our region's peace and stability, and for Syrians to achieve a safe life," it said.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/disaster-in-the-making-top-republicans-outraged-over-trump-pullback-in-syria-254361">Trump's warning on Turkey's economy</a> appeared aimed at placating critics who accused him of abandoning the Syrian Kurds by pulling out US forces. The decision drew criticism from Democrats and a rebuke from some of Trump's fellow Republicans in Congress, including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.

"As I have stated strongly before, and just to reiterate, if Turkey does anything that I, in my great and unmatched wisdom, consider to be off-limits, I will totally destroy and obliterate the Economy of Turkey (I've done before!)" Trump tweeted.

Turkey does not appear "as of now" to have begun its expected incursion into northern Syria, a senior Trump administration official said on Monday.

Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman Hami Aksoy said overnight it was Turkey's fundamental right to take necessary measures for its national security against terrorism threats from Syria.

"Turkey is determined to clear terrorists from the east of the Euphrates and protect its own security and survival while implementing a secure zone in order to achieve peace and stability," Aksoy said in a written statement.

President Tayyip Erdogan has said Turkey plans to resettle two million refugees in northern Syria and Turkish media has said the draft resettlement plan involves a 151 billion lira ($26 billion) construction project. Turkey hosts 3.6 million Syrian refugees.

The Trump administration official, briefing reporters on a conference call, said 50 U.S. troops in the region that Turkey has targeted would be redeployed elsewhere in Syria "where they aren't in the crossfire." The United States has about 1,000 troops in Syria.

Turkey's lira lost 2% of its value against the dollar to hit its weakest level since early September. It stood at 5.8385 early on Tuesday.

Turkey said on Tuesday it had completed preparations for a military operation in northeast Syria after the United States began pulling back troops, opening the way for a Turkish attack on Kurdish-led forces long allied to Washington.

Turkey said on Tuesday it had completed preparations for a military operation in northeast Syria after the United States began pulling back troops, opening the way for a Turkish attack on Kurdish-led forces long allied to Washington. But US President Donald Trump warned he would "obliterate" the NATO ally's economy if it took action in Syria that he considered "off-limits" following his decision on Sunday to pull 50 American special forces troops from the border region. The US withdrawal will leave its Kurdish-led partner forces in Syria vulnerable to an incursion by the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK), which brands them terrorists because of their links to Kurdish militants who have waged a long insurgency inside Turkey. "The TSK will never tolerate the establishment of a terror corridor on our borders. All preparations for the operation have been completed," the Turkish Defence Ministry said on Twitter early on Tuesday. "It is essential to establish a safe zone/peace corridor to contribute to our region's peace and stability, and for Syrians to achieve a safe life," it said. Trump's warning on Turkey's economy appeared aimed at placating critics who accused him of abandoning the Syrian Kurds by pulling out US forces. The decision drew criticism from Democrats and a rebuke from some of Trump's fellow Republicans in Congress, including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. "As I have stated strongly before, and just to reiterate, if Turkey does anything that I, in my great and unmatched wisdom, consider to be off-limits, I will totally destroy and obliterate the Economy of Turkey (I've done before!)" Trump tweeted. Turkey does not appear "as of now" to have begun its expected incursion into northern Syria, a senior Trump administration official said on Monday. Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman Hami Aksoy said overnight it was Turkey's fundamental right to take necessary measures for its national security against terrorism threats from Syria. "Turkey is determined to clear terrorists from the east of the Euphrates and protect its own security and survival while implementing a secure zone in order to achieve peace and stability," Aksoy said in a written statement. President Tayyip Erdogan has said Turkey plans to resettle two million refugees in northern Syria and Turkish media has said the draft resettlement plan involves a 151 billion lira ($26 billion) construction project. Turkey hosts 3.6 million Syrian refugees. The Trump administration official, briefing reporters on a conference call, said 50 U.S. troops in the region that Turkey has targeted would be redeployed elsewhere in Syria "where they aren't in the crossfire." The United States has about 1,000 troops in Syria. Turkey's lira lost 2% of its value against the dollar to hit its weakest level since early September. It stood at 5.8385 early on Tuesday.

All preparations for Syria operations completed, says Turkey

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Turkey strikes in Syrian-Iraqi border ahead of planned offensive

All preparations for Syria operations completed, says Turkey