FOREIGN DIGNITARIES/SYRIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/TURKEY: “President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey accused President Trump on Friday [10-18-19] of having broken with ‘diplomatic and political courtesy’ by sending him a letter threatening to destroy the Turkish economy if he did not behave in ‘the right and humane way’ in Syria…At the same time, Mr. Erdogan said, ‘we also want it to be known that, when the time comes, the necessary thing will be done.’ It was the latest back and forth between the two leaders who have sought to portray themselves as strong-willed and unforgiving, and created an intensely personal backdrop for a policy decision with deadly serious consequences. Earlier this month, Mr. Trump gave Turkey the green light to invade northern Syria, pulling back 1,000 American troops and abandoning the Kurdish fighters who had for years been fighting side-by-side with American soldiers to defeat the Islamic State extremist group.”
–Marc Santora, “Turkish President Slams Trump’s Letter for ‘Lack of Respect’,” The New York Times online, October 18, 2019