Esper Has Sharp Words For Turkey Over Syria Invasion by Lolita C. Baldor – Associated Press
After spending four tumultuous days engulfed in the chaotic ramifications of the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Syria, U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper lashed out Thursday at Turkey for its military assault across the border on Syrian Kurdish fighters.
Speaking at the German Marshall Fund, Esper said Turkey's "unwarranted" invasion into Syria jeopardizes gains made there in recent years as the U.S.-led coalition and allied Syrian Kurdish forces battled the Islamic State group.
Turkey, he said, is "heading in the wrong direction," and is getting closer to Russia.
"Turkey put us all in a very terrible situation," he said, adding that Ankara needs to return to being the "responsible ally" it has been in the past…