Turkey says Trump's 'Don't be a fool!' letter was 'rejected by Erdogan and thrown into the trash'

(Image credit: Adem Altan/AFP via Getty Images)

published 17 October 2019

Vice President Mike Pence and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo are meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday, probably, but signs aren't pointing to a warm reception for President Trump's delegation to Ankara. Erdogan has already rejected the demand for an immediate ceasefire in Syria that Pence and Pompeo are bringing from Trump, and he hinted Wednesday he may not even meet with the U.S. delegation. And then there's Trump's letter.

Trump agreed to pull U.S. forces out of northeastern Syria in an Oct. 6 phone call with Erdogan, effectively giving Turkey's president the green light to invade Syria and push out or kill America's Kurdish allies. In a contentious White House meeting with congressional leaders Wednesday, shortly after the House overwhelmingly rebuked Trump's decision, Trump had House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) pass around copies of what he described as a "nasty" letter he had sent Erdogan on Oct. 9, starting with him urging Erdogan, "Let's work out a good deal" that doesn't involve "slaughtering thousands" of Kurds, and ending on the odd note: "Don't be a tough guy. Don't be a fool! I will call you later."

Erdogan launched his invasion of Syria Oct. 9, the same day Trump sent his missive. Did he get the letter? Yes, a Turkish presidential source tells BBC Turkish. "President Erdogan received the letter, thoroughly rejected it, and put it in the bin," the government official said, or in another translation: "The letter was rejected by Erdogan and thrown into the trash." Apparently, writes BBC Middle East editor Jeremy Bowen, "Trump's mixture of threats and locker-room banter infuriated" Erdogan.

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.