Ottoman Slap

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan threatened Washington on Tuesday in Ankara, calling for equal treatment of all NATO members. On Monday, plans by the Pentagon were announced to provide the Kurdish YPG militias with additional funds.

Speaking to his parliamentary ruling Justice and Development (AKP) party in Ankara on Tuesday, Erdogan referred to a recent statement by Lieutenant-General Paul E. Funk, US Supreme Commander in the US-led coalition against the Islamic Alliance Country". This had warned that Turkey would receive a sharp response from its powerful NATO ally, the Turks should attack the Syrian region of Manbij. In northern Syria, under the umbrella of the "Democratic Forces of Syria" (SDF), the United States has established a multi-base military presence with no apparent international legal basis. The SDF are led by the Kurdish militia YPG.