Readout of President Donald J. Trump’s Call with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey

[Right_in_Virginia]

Readout of President Donald J.
Trump’s Call with President Recep
Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey

Issued on: January 24, 2018

 President Donald J. Trump spoke today with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey.  President Trump relayed concerns that escalating violence in Afrin, Syria, risks undercutting our shared goals in Syria.  He urged Turkey to deescalate, limit its military actions, and avoid civilian casualties and increases to displaced persons and refugees.  He urged Turkey to exercise caution and to avoid any actions that might risk conflict between Turkish and American forces. He reiterated that both nations must focus all parties on the shared goal of achieving the lasting defeat of ISIS.  And both Presidents welcomed the return of more than 100,000 Syrian refugees back to their country in the wake of the ongoing defeat of ISIS and pledged to continue to cooperate to help people return home.

President Trump invited closer bilateral cooperation to address Turkey’s legitimate security concerns.  The leaders discussed the need to stabilize a unified Syria that poses no threats to its neighbors, including Turkey.  President Trump also expressed concern about destructive and false rhetoric coming from Turkey, and about United States citizens and local employees detained under the prolonged State of Emergency in Turkey.  The two leaders pledged to improve the strategic partnership between the United States and Turkey, particularly in fostering regional stability and combating terrorism in all its forms, including ISIS, the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), al-Qa’ida, and Iranian-sponsored terrorism.


https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/readout-president-donald-j-trumps-call-president-recep-tayyip-erdogan-turkey-4/

[Frank Cannon]

Fake news. WaPo said that Donny made this call, but when Erdogen picked up, he farted in the phone, told him that Melania was hotter than his wife and abruptly hung up when his Chief of Staff arrived with a garbage bag full of Big Macs and a 12 pack of diet Coke.