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Turks unite to condemn Trump's threat to 'devastate' economy

Turkish government officials and members of the opposition condemned President Donald Trump's threat to "devastate Turkey economically" if Ankara attacks Washington's Kurdish allies in northern Syria.
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to the news media before boarding Marine One to depart for travel to New Orleans from the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, U.S., January 14, 2019. REUTERS/Leah Millis - RC196A2425C0

ANKARA, Turkey — Turks erupted with a chorus of scorn for President Donald Trump’s threat to devastate their economy if the Turkish armed forces attacked the Syrian Kurds. Even parties that oppose President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s plan to march into northeast Syria deplored Trump’s choice of words.

“Nobody has ever been able to threaten Turkey like this in its history,” said Faik Oztrak, the spokesman for the main opposition, the Republican People’s Party (CHP).

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