To the Journal editor:

A statement from White House Press Secretary, Oct. 6, reads:

“Today, President Donald J. Trump spoke with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey by telephone. Turkey will soon be moving forward with its long-planned operation into Northern Syria. The United States Armed Forces will not support or be involved in the operation, and United States forces, having defeated the ISIS territorial “Caliphate,” will no longer be in the immediate area.”

Three days later, Oct. 9, Turkish military began shelling civilian villages across its border into Syria.

Turkish military jets strafed Syrian civilians and the Kurdish military.

U.S. generals and members of the armed forces acknowledge the defeat of ISIS occurred because of the combined effort of the Kurds and U.S. military. Turkey’s military invasion is attacking the Kurds. The Kurds are a U.S. ally. U.S. servicemen know they are abandoning an ally.

President Trump ordered the withdrawal of the U.S. military because of a phone conversation with President Erdogan. Erdogan is a dictator. Since the state-staged “political coup” in 2016, Turkey has imprisoned 250 journalists, 96,000 people, closed 3,000 universities and removed 6,000 academics from teaching.

Secretary of State Pompeo stated President Trump did not “green-light” Turkey’s invasion into Syria.

President Trump tweeted, “Turkey has been planning to attack the Kurds for a long time,” “I say hit Turkey very hard financially & with sanctions if they don’t play by the rules! I am watching closely.”

While President Trump watches closely, Turkey’s military is killing Syrian civilians, women, children and the Kurds.

CHRISTOPHER WRIGHT

Empire