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US presence in northern Syria serves the Kurds, not Turkey

The US decision to keep 200 troops in northern Syria is a blow to Ankara.
U.S. Army General Jospeh Votel, head of Central Command, visits an airbase at an undisclosed location in northeast Syria, February 18, 2019. REUTERS/Phil Stewart - RC13C4BB6380

Nearly all Turkish media outlets cast Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu's statements about the S-400 missile deal with Russia as breaking news. It was. Following his talks with his American counterpart Mike Pompeo, Cavusoglu responded to questions from journalists on Turkey’s purchase of Russia’s S-400 missile defense system. "There is no need to explain anything about the S-400s since it is already a done deal,” he said, adding that Turkey would not break its agreement, and that "others’ commentary is not of interest to us.”

Who might those “others” be?

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