United States does not have a unified stance regarding Turkish military operations – Analyst

Khaled Safouri, Advisor to the Meridian Center for Political Studies

North-Press Agency

A political expert in the Arab-American affairs said that the United States does not have a unified stance regarding the Turkish military operation that will continue as long as it passes silently in the sight of Washington. Khaled Saffouri, an adviser to the Meridian Center for Political Studies and a political expert in Arab-American affairs said in an interview with North-Press that there are two tendencies; the stance of President Trump, which gave Turkey the green light to move, which is ambiguous and inexplicable stance, and the stance of the Department of Defense regarding the Kurds considering them as a key ally, thus there is conflict.

Saffouri pointed out that the U.S.-Turkish problem, which has been going on for six or seven years as a result to supporting the Kurds, where Obama administration gave more than $4 billion to the Kurds in Iraq and Syria for their cooperation with the United States.

“Trump administration also continued this cooperation, which led the U.S.-Turkish relationship to enter the worst stage in its recent history," he added.

Regarding the upcoming meeting between President Trump and Erdogan on the 13th of this month, Safouri commented that until now the results are still unknown as there is great pressure from the U.S. Congress to take action against Turkey, but President Trump rejects this; although the draft resolution in Congress passed the House and Senate by an overwhelming majority over the president's veto.

Saffouri pointed out that the Congress cannot impose on the president the decision to impose sanctions on Turkey; in the end, the president has great constitutional powers, and therefore he can stop or postpone the implementation of sanctions under the pretext of the U.S. national security.

He stressed that the military operations will continue as long as it passes silently, and no one can stop it, and there is no will by the U.S. administration to stop this operation.

Khaled Saffouri concluded: "As long as Turkey is working within the lines of the agreement that has been reached, there is no real reaction until Turkey does something that angers the U.S. administration or goes beyond what has been agreed upon".