What You Need to Know about Trump and the Turkish attack on the Kurds

Syrian opposition fighters cross the border into Syria.

Photo by Emrah Gurel/AP/Shutterstock *Photo found @RollingStone

Syrian opposition fighters cross the border into Syria.

Over the course of one weekend, ISIS prisoners have escaped Kurdish prisons, Trump has put the world in danger, and Russia has become somewhat of a hero.

Recently, Trump made the decision to pull US troops out of Northern Syria leaving Syrian Kurds, longtime military partners with the US defenseless against a Turkish attack. Northern Syria is home to the PKK, which has been identified as a terrorist group by multiple countries, including the United States. Having the PKK so close to the Turkish border has been a source of discomfort for many Turks, especially the President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

According to CNBC.com, James Mattis, Trump’s first defense secretary, warned that a premature withdrawal would lead to a resurgence of ISIS after years of U.S. and Kurdish efforts to destroy the group. Once American troops, under Trump’s orders, were removed from the border, Erdoğan launched aTurkish invasion on Syria on October 9. According to vox.com, the Kurds had to look to the Syrian president, Bashar al-Assad, for protection. Russia also tried to help the Kurds by entering the territory the US left behind to keep Turkish and Syrian forces separated. Through all this chaos, ISIS prisoners escaped from prisons, endangering major countries for years to come.

The conflict in this region has been raging for over 35 years and killed about 40,000 people.

Recently, the US Department of Defense warned that there is only so much room to hold prisoners and that prison breaks were in the works. In August, the Department of Defense also warned that if the US were to remove troops from the area, there could be a resurgence in ISIS. Through all of this change more than 800 prisoners managed to escape.

Trump seemed to be unbothered as he went to play golf on Sunday and was met with protestors wielding “traitor” signs. He has also said, “well I’m not siding with anybody”, and has instead threatened to ruin Turkey’s economy if they commit any inhumane acts against the US troops.

Just yesterday, Pence said, “the United States and Turkey have agreed to a ceasefire in Syria.” The ceasefire, which was supposed to last for five days, has been cut short as Turkey had already began fighting. Turkey claims there was never talks of a ceasefire, but instead a “pause” in current operations. The SDF tweeted “Despite the agreement to halt the fighting, air and artillery attacks continue to target the positions of fighters, civilian settlements and the hospital in Serêkaniyê/Ras al-Ayn. Turkey is violating the ceasefire agreement by continuing to attack the town since last night.”

ISIS is not one to pass up on opportunities and with the escape of prisoners, the world should prepare themselves for the unpredictable.

Click here to learn more about the Kurds, Syria, the history of their relationship with Turkey, and moves the US has made on this war-torn border.