OREANDA-NEWS US President Donald Trump threatened Turkey with economic measures if Ankara decides to attack the Syrian Kurds.

"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...., " Trump wrote in his Twitter.

According to Trump, the US also does not want the “Kurds provoked Turkey.”

"Russia, Iran and Syria are the biggest beneficiaries of the US long - term policy to destroy  ISIS in Syria-natural enemies. We also benefit from it, but it is time to bring our troops home. Stop the ENDLESS WAR!”, - the message of the President of the United States.

Earlier, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that there are "a couple of thousand" American troops in Syria, and their withdrawal from this country will not change the country's ability to carry out the necessary military actions.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said that Ankara is ready to launch an operation in the East of the Euphrates, as well as in the Syrian Manbij against the self-defense forces of the Syrian Kurds, if the US does not withdraw them from there. Later, he announced the decision to postpone the start of military operations in Syria after a telephone conversation with Trump on December 14, following which the President decided to withdraw us troops from Syria.

In mid-December 2018, Trump announced his victory over ISIS in Syria, noting that this was the only reason for the us military to stay in the country. Later, White House spokesman Sarah Sanders said that the US began withdrawing troops from Syria, but the victory over the IG does not mean the termination of the coalition. On January 11, an unnamed us military official told Fox News that the US is withdrawing military equipment from Syria, but the troops remain.

The representative of Recep Tayyip Erdogan also called "a fatal mistake" the US desire "to equate the Syrian Kurds to the Kurdistan Workers' party, which is on the us list of terrorist organizations, and to its Syrian branch of the "people's self-defense Force" and "Democratic Union". "Turkey continues to struggle with the Kurds and the terrorists. We will protect Kurds and other Syrians from terrorist threats. Mr. Trump, terrorists cannot be your partners and allies," he added.