TheCable

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey threw a letter he received from President Donald Trump into a bin, according to BBC.

The letter dated October 9 was sent after Trump ordered US troops out of Syria.

In the letter, he urged Turkey not to launch a military offensive against Kurdish-led forces in northern Syria.

The US president asked Erdogan to work out a deal with him instead of being held responsible for “slaughtering thousands of people”.

“Let’s work out a good deal! You don’t want to be responsible for slaughtering thousands of people, and I don’t want to be responsible for destroying the Turkish economy – and I will. I’ve already given you a little sample with request to Pastor Brunson,” the letter read.

The letter

“I have worked hard to solve your problems. Don’t let the world down. You can make a great deal.

“History will look upon you favourably if you get this done the right and humane way. It will look upon you forever as the devil if good things don’t happen. Don’t be a tough guy. Don’t be a fool!’

Upon receipt of the letter, Erdogan was said to have rejected it and put it in the bin.

“President Erdogan received the letter, thoroughly rejected it and put it in the bin,” a presidential source was quoted to have said.

Following the withdrawal of its troops from Syria (border area) on Sunday, Turkey had launched military attack against Kurdish forces.

WHY TURKEY IS LAUNCHING AN ATTACK AGAINST KURDISH-LED ALLIANCE

The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) alliance has reportedly been a critical ally to the US in the fight against the IS group in Syria.

The SDF is dominated by the members of a Kurdish militia called the People’s Protection Units (YPG).

However, Turkey considers the Kurdish-led alliance a terrorist organisation.

When the US declared the military defeat of IS in March, Erdogan had pushed Trump to create a “safe zone” in north-eastern Syria.

The US reportedly agreed to establish one together with Turkey to address their security concerns and avert an offensive but called it a “security mechanism”.

The US said the area would be clear of YPG fighters. The fighters complied and began dismantling border fortifications.

Then, two months later, US troops pulled back from the border after Erdogan told Trump that Turkey was about to begin an operation to set up a “safe zone” alone.

Reacting, SDF had said the US “stabbed it in the back” and that an offensive would reverse the defeat of IS.

On October 9, Turkish troops and allied Syrian rebels launched a ground assault on SDF-held territory, with Erdogan saying they aimed to “neutralise terror threats against Turkey” and facilitate the return of Syrian refugees.