Erdogan sends more Turkish troops to Syria border ahead of US withdrawal

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan renewed threats to target Kurdish fighters on Monday as he sent more troops to the border with Syria ahead of an imminent US withdrawal, AFP reported. Turkey was in Syria “to return the freedom of our Arab brothers and sisters, to return the freedom of our Kurdish brothers and sisters,” he said during a speech in Ankara. A Turkish military convoy reportedly arrived overnight on Monday at the border with Syria, with local media reporting that some vehicles had entered Syria. Turkey has said any offensive targeting the Syrian Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) militia and the Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS) will be launched in the coming months. Unlike several other US allies, Turkey has praised President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw 2,000 of his ground forces from Syria.