×
GreekEnglish

×
  • Politics
  • Diaspora
  • World
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Culture
  • Sports
  • Cooking
Saturday
07
Feb 2026
weather symbol
Athens 20°C
  • Home
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • World
  • Diaspora
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Culture
  • Sports
  • Mediterranean Cooking
  • Weather
Contact follow Protothema:
Powered by Cloudevo
> World

Erdogan rebukes US security adviser over Kurdish militia comments

"Bolton has made a serious mistake and whoever thinks like this has also made a mistake"

Newsroom January 8 09:17

President Tayyip Erdogan rebuked Washington’s national security adviser on Tuesday for demanding that Turkey does not harm Kurdish fighters in Syria, accusing him of complicating U.S. President Donald Trump’s plan to withdraw U.S. troops.

Erdogan said John Bolton, who met Turkish officials in Ankara on Tuesday but left Turkey without holding expected talks with the president, had “made a serious mistake” in setting conditions for Turkey’s military role after the U.S. pull-out.

Trump said last month he was bringing home the some 2,000 U.S. troops in Syria, saying they had succeeded in their mission to defeat Islamic State and that Turkey would take over the final stages of the military campaign.

His abrupt move sparked concern among officials in Washington and allies abroad and prompted Defense Secretary Jim Mattis to resign. It also alarmed the Kurdish YPG militia which has been Washington’s main ally against Islamic State in Syria, but is considered a terrorist organization by Ankara.

Before arriving in Turkey, Bolton had said that Turkey must coordinate military action with the United States and that no U.S. withdrawal would take place until Turkey guaranteed the Kurdish fighters would be safe.

However, Erdogan said Turkey would confront the YPG in the same way that it will take on Islamic State. “If they are terrorists, we will do what is necessary no matter where they come from,” he told members of his AK Party in parliament.

>Related articles

AHI President highlights U.S.–Greece relations and hosts key Hellenic leaders in Washington

Regional and international developments discussed at Dendias–Indian Foreign Minister meeting

The Commission targets TikTok for its addictive design that harms children

“Bolton has made a serious mistake and whoever thinks like this has also made a mistake. It is not possible for us to make compromises on this point.”

Turkey had reached a clear understanding with Trump over the withdrawal plans, but “different voices have started emerging from different segments of the administration,” Erdogan said.

Read more HERE

Ask me anything

Explore related questions

#army#canceled#diplomacy#forces#isis#John Bolton Trump security adviser#Justice and Development Party (AKP)#kurds#meeting#military#militia#negotiations#pkk#politics#syria#turkey#Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan#US President Donald Trump#usa#visit#world#YPG
> More World

Follow en.protothema.gr on Google News and be the first to know all the news

See all the latest News from Greece and the World, the moment they happen, at en.protothema.gr

> Latest Stories

Thessaloniki’s Flyover: Greece’s largest bridge project nears completion, set to revolutionize urban mobility

February 7, 2026

What kind of tourism do we want – Experts from around the world speak out: “Stop issuing permits that will turn Greece into Costa del Sol

February 7, 2026

Vinyl records make a comeback: Record stores return as an aesthetic choice, not just nostalgia

February 7, 2026

Winter Olympics: As a tribute to Giorgio Armani, Mariah Carey rocked San Siro

February 7, 2026

Weather: Spring in winter with temperatures up to 22 degrees at the weekend

February 7, 2026

Boos for Israel and JD Vance at Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony

February 7, 2026

Ministry of Finance: Six privatisations and five tax cuts in focus for 2026

February 7, 2026

US Ambassador begins tours across Greece: From Zappeion to Washington, the vertical corridor

February 7, 2026
All News

> Politics

US Ambassador begins tours across Greece: From Zappeion to Washington, the vertical corridor

Energy and infrastructure: Focus on the vertical corridor

February 7, 2026

Regional and international developments discussed at Dendias–Indian Foreign Minister meeting

February 6, 2026

Anna Stratinaki resigns as Deputy Head of the Independent Market Authority due to her husband’s involvement in the Panagopoulos case

February 6, 2026

What we expect from the meeting between Mitsotakis and Erdogan in Ankara: The objectives and the persons who will accompany the Prime Minister

February 6, 2026

PASOK expands influence after Panagopoulos scandal: Farantouris joins Tsoukalas at key event

February 6, 2026
Homepage
PERSONAL DATA PROTECTION POLICY COOKIES POLICY TERM OF USE
Powered by Cloudevo
Copyright © 2026 Πρώτο Θέμα