(Washington Post) Kareem Fahim - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan refused to meet visiting White House national security adviser John Bolton on Tuesday, saying that he had made a "very serious mistake" by demanding protection for U.S.-backed Kurdish fighters in Syria. Bolton on Sunday outlined the conditions for a U.S. troop departure from Syria during a visit to Israel. Those conditions included protection for thousands of Syrian Kurdish fighters who have been trained and armed by the U.S to fight the Islamic State. "The message that Bolton gave in Israel is unacceptable," Erdogan said. "Very soon, we will take action to neutralize terrorist organizations in Syria," referring to the Kurds. Bolton had been expected to meet with Erdogan to discuss the fate of the Syrian Kurdish fighters, a U.S. official said.
2019-01-09 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive