US warns Turkey for heading in ‘wrong direction’ over Syria

US Defense Secretary, Mark Esper warned Turkey for heading in the wrong direction over Syria, today on Thursday.

While commenting on its deal with Russia to form a joint safe zone and its attack on Syria in a conference in Brussels, the Defense Secretary said, “Turkey put us all in a very terrible situation” by entering northern Syria earlier this month and fight against Kurdish militia together with US.

Also Read: Will restore Syria operation if deal not respected, warns Erdogan

He further added, “I think the incursion’s unwarranted.”

According to sources, Turkey’s military offense in Syria becomes part of NATO meeting. On the other hand, the diplomats also said that discussions over the issue have already been taken place with the representatives of Turkey.

On the matter of pulling out US forces out of northern Syria, the Defense Secretary said, “The US decision to withdraw less than 50 soldiers from the zone of attack was made after it was made very clear to us that President (Recep Tayyip) Erdogan made the decision to come across the border.”

Also Read: No more invasion in Syria as Kurds leave border: Turkey

The Defense Secretary, Esper also acknowledged that,”there has been some criticism” in this regard “but nobody’s yet offered a better alternative to what the United States did. We are trying to keep a very strategic perspective.”

In a question answer session at the event, the US Defense Secretary also mentioned the threats US has been facing by Russia, Iran and China.