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Erdogan displays political prowess in deflecting Trump threat

In response to Trump's tweet threatening to destroy Turkey economically if it attacked the Kurds, Erdogan focused on the other half of the tweet: a buffer zone along the Syrian border.
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan leaves his seat to address members of parliament from his ruling AK Party (AKP) during a meeting at the Turkish parliament in Ankara, Turkey, January 15, 2019. REUTERS/Umit Bektas - RC177363CD90

ANKARA, Turkey — President Recep Tayyip Erdogan demonstrated his political skills today when he eschewed attacking the US president for threatening Turkey and changed the Syrian debate from wiping out the Kurdish militia to erecting a buffer zone along the Turkish-Syrian border.

Erdogan spoke a day after President Donald Trump posted a tweet about the US withdrawal from Syria, in which he threatened to "devastate Turkey economically if they hit Kurds.” The comment provoked an outcry. Opposition politicians and centrist media joined the government in condemning Trump for his heavy-handedness.

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