Donald Trump said he would consider the Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan “the devil” in an extraordinary letter aimed at quelling the Syrian invasion. The US President threatened to wreck Ankara’s economy if the conflict went too far, in a letter sent to Mr Erdogan earlier this month. Mr Trump warned his Turkish counterpart, “don’t be a fool” and urged him to “work out a deal”.
The authenticity of the letter, dated October 9, was confirmed by the White House.
It read: “Let’s work out a good deal! You don’t want to be responsible for slaughtering thousand so people, and I don’t want to be responsible for destroying the Turkish economy – and I will.”
The striking language continues throughout the letter, that was obtained by Fox Business, as Mr Trump warned the Turkish president not to “be a tough guy”.
President Trump wrote: “History will look upon you favourably if yogurt 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!”
The letter was sent just three days after the two leaders spoke on the phone, on October 6.
Just days later, President Trump announced he was pulling US troops from northern Syria.
The House voting to condemn the decision to withdraw US troops this week.
Democratic congressman Mike Levin said on Twitter: “Today in the House, we voted 354-60 to condemn Trump’s actions with regard to Syria.
“Also, this letter is an embarrassment to the office.”
The US President also revealed in the letter that he was happy to share a confidential letter from the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) leader, General Mazloum Kobani Abdi with Mr Erdoğan.
Mr Trump wrote: “General Mazloum is willing to negotiate with you, and he is willing to make concessions that they would never have made in the past.
“I am confidentially enclosing a copy of his letter to me, just received.”