US’s Esper has sharp words for Turkey over Syria invasion

U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper is lashing out at Turkey for its military assault on Syrian Kurdish fighters across border into Syria.

His remarks in Brussels Thursday came after spending four tumultuous days engulfed in chaotic ramifications of withdrawal of U.S. troops from Syria.

Esper says Turkey’s unwarranted invasion into Syria jeopardizes security gains me in recent years as U.S.-led coalition and allied Syrian Kurdish forces battled Islamic State group. His comments came at German Marshall Fund.

President Donald Trump anunced Wednesday that U.S. is lifting sanctions on Turkey after NATO ally agreed to permanently stop fighting Kurdish forces in Syria. Esper was in Iraq Wednesday to discuss withdrawal and Islamic State threat with Iraqi leers and his military commanders.