Turkey and the United States were united in their mission to liberate territory in Syria from ISIS. But now Donald Trump’s plan to withdraw from the war-torn country is expected to leave a massive power vacuum there. This leaves Donald Trump and Recep Erdogan to figure out how to balance their interests in the new geopolitical landscape. And one big issue is the fate of Syria’s Kurds. While the United States considers Kurdish forces a major ally in the region, Turkey says that they’re a threat.
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Just days after the U.S. withdrawal was abruptly announced, Turkey laid out their intentions to enter northeastern Syria and take out the Kurdish YPG, which is the armed wing of Syria’s Kurdish Democratic Union Party, also known as the PYD. Since then, the Trump administration has attempted to negotiate protections for the Kurds, but Erdogan’s government has refused to make any concessions. And they’ve even asserted that their invasion will happen with or without the presence of American troops in the region. The Kurds’ recent struggle is only the latest in a series of political setbacks since the end of World War I.

They were initially promised an independent state, by then-leader of Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. But he changed his mind and rejected the deal -- and the land claimed by the Kurds was divided between four countries: Syria, Iraq, Turkey, and Iran. This left the Kurds as vulnerable minorities in each of these states. And in each of these states, the Kurds have endured decades of repression. But why does the US care what happens to Kurds in Syria?

CORRECTION: In our video we state that Mustafa Kemal Ataturk promised the Kurds an independent state. An agreement to consider an independent Kurdish state was actually made in the 1920 Treaty of Sevres. The treaty was later rejected by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk and other Turkish nationalists.

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NowThis World is dedicated to bringing you topical explainers about the world around you. Each week we’ll be exploring current stories in international news, by examining the facts, providing historical context, and outlining the key players involved. We’ll also highlight powerful countries, ideologies, influential leaders, and ongoing global conflicts that are shaping the current landscape of the international community across the globe today.

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