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Trump faces another diplomatic rebuke from Turkey

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Trump faces another diplomatic rebuke from Turkey

Ankara denies White House readout content

US President Donald Trump administration faced another diplomatic rebuke in the Middle East when Turkish official sources denied the White House readout text released after  the phone call between President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Donald Trump late Wednesday, saying it does not reflect the “true nature of the phone call”.

According to two major Turkish dailies, Hurriyet Daily News (Ankara) and Daily Sabah (Istanbul), the official sources said, “Trump did not express concern over a so-called escalating violence as a result of Turkey’s anti-terror operation in Afrin. There was merely an exchange of views on Operation Oilve Branch between the presidents.”

However, White House readout available at its website says “President Trump relayed concerns that escalating violence in Afrin, Syria, risks undercutting our shared goals in Syria.”

Turkey has launched “Operation Olive Branch,” operation targeting the Afrin region to oust the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG), which Ankara considers as a terror organization and the Syrian branch of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), the separatist entity on its soil.

The Turkish source said that during the conversation, Trump discussed restricting the operation in Afrin to a certain time limit and avoiding any close combat in Manbij, due to the existence of U.S. soldiers in the region.

Instead, Turkish President Erdoğan reiterated that the PYD-YPG forces must withdraw to the East of the Euphrates River and pledged the protection of Manbij by the Turkish-backed Free Syrian Army against future threats by the Daesh (IS)  following the withdrawal.

The White House readout said “He (Trump) urged Turkey to deescalate, limit its military actions, and avoid civilian casualties and increases to displaced persons and refugees.  He urged Turkey to exercise caution and to avoid any actions that might risk conflict between Turkish and American forces.”

The source further said that US President Donald Trump never used the expression “destructive and false rhetoric coming from Turkey”, but expressed discomfort about criticisms directed to his country.

The White House readout said, “President Trump also expressed concern about destructive and false rhetoric coming from Turkey, and about United States citizens and local employees detained under the prolonged State of Emergency in Turkey.”

Denying another White House claim, the Turkish official source said, “The state of emergency in Turkey was also not mentioned during the call.” However, White House claimed that Trump expressed the U.S. “concern about “prolonged state of emergency in Turkey.”

Sources added that the U.S. side emphasized the importance of avoiding confrontation between Turkish and U.S. forces in the region.

The Turkish side also reiterated that YPG/PYD terrorists must withdraw from Manbij, and that the Free Syrian Army (FSA) can protect the area from potential Daesh (IS) terror if needed.

The Turkish official sources said that President RecepTayyip Erdoğan also told Trump that the U.S.’ support to YPG terrorists must end as soon as possible, and Trump told that U.S. is currently not supplying and will not supply any more weaponry to the YPG.

The White House statement concluded saying, “The two leaders pledged to improve the strategic partnership between the US and Turkey, particularly in “fostering regional stability and combating terrorism in all its forms,” including ISIS, the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), al-Qa’ida, and Iranian-sponsored terrorism.

Turkish official have neither denied or confirmed about discussing about “Iranian sponsored terrorism,”  the term generally used about Lebanon based Hezbollah, the followers of Iranian revolutionaries who have played important role along with Iranian military advisors in defeating Daesh (IS) in Syria and Iraq.

However, observers have expressed fear of US-Turkey confrontation in Syria. Reuters reports that a US-backed Kurdish militia has deployed fighters to the frontline of Syria’s Manbij to fight against Turkey’s military as President Erdogan has indicated it would be the next target after Afrin operation.

US military personnel are deployed in Manbij, situated about 100 km east of Afrin. Forces from Turkey and NATO allies could come face to face on the battlefield, if war triggers between US and Turkish forces.

US led coalition spokesman Ryan Dilon reportedly has told Reuters on Wednesday, “Clearly we are very alert to what is happening, especially in the area of Manbij because that is where our… coalition forces are.” He further said that they “have an inherent right to defend themselves and will do so if necessary.”

Meanwhile, Sharfan Darvish of Manbij Military Council, a unit of , YPG Syrian-Kurd militia has said that his forces were preparing to confront Turkish soldiers.

He indirectly acknowledged US support to his group saying, “We are in full readiness to respond to any attack. Of course our coordination with the international coalition continues with regards to the protection of Manbij.”  The US-led coalition is generally known as international coalition in the regional media.

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Amid India-Canada diplomatic tensions, Justin Trudeau shares video of his Diwali celebrations

This comes a day after India expressed its concern over the reports of cancelled Diwali celebrations in Canada.

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Amid the ongoing diplomatic tensions between Canada and India over the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Sunday shared a video of his Diwali celebration on social media platform X.

Sharing a 44-second video of his Diwali celebrations on social media, the Canadian Prime Minister wrote, “Happy Diwali! So many special moments shared celebrating with the community this week.”

This comes a day after India expressed its concern over the reports of cancelled Diwali celebrations in Canada.

The Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal on Saturday, while addressing the media over Canada’s serious allegation against Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s involvement in the killing of Khalistani terrorist Nijjar, said it was unfortunate that the prevailing atmosphere in Canada has reached high levels of intolerance and extremism.

In the video, Prime Minister Trudeau showed off some colorful religious threads on his wrists, explaining that he received them during visits to three Hindu temples in Canada recently. He called them symbols of “good luck” and “protection,” adding with a smile, “I’m not taking them off until they fall off”.

Trudeau was also seen interacting warmly with the community, celebrating the festival, and enjoying delicious Indian sweets like jalebis, which he jokingly said he would “save for the team.”

On November 1, Trudeau posted on X, “Happy Diwali! Today, Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, and Jain families will celebrate the triumph of light over darkness with festivities, candles, diyas, and fireworks. Wishing you all joy and prosperity during this special time.”

Addressing a press conference in Delhi, Jaiswal said India condemns the recent allegations made by the Canadian government against Shah that he was purportedly involved in the killing of Nijjar and called it “absurd and baseless”.

Jaiswal also said that India had summoned the Canadian High Commissioner on Friday to protest in the strongest terms for the references made to the Union Home Minister of India before the Committee by Canada’s Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister David Morrison.

On Tuesday, Morrison claimed that Shah orchestrated a campaign of violence, intimidation, and intelligence-gathering aimed at Sikh separatists on Canadian soil. He informed members of Canada’s national security committee in Parliament that he had confirmed Shah’s name to The Washington Post, which was the first to report the allegations. However, Morrison did not provide details on how Canada became aware of Shah’s alleged involvement.

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India, China complete disengagement in Depsang, Demchok at LAC after 4 years standoff

The Indian Army said that coordinated patrolling will start soon by both sides, and the ground commanders will continue to hold talks.

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India, China complete disengagement in Depsang, Demchok at LAC after 4 years standoff

In a significant development, India and China have completed the disengagement exercise in the Depsang and Demchok friction points at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh. The troops of both the countries are now verifying the vacation of positions and removal of infrastructure.

Reportedly, the Indian Army said that coordinated patrolling will start soon by both sides, and the ground commanders will continue to hold talks. The two sides will exchange sweets for Diwali tomorrow.

Earlier, Foreign secretary Vikram Misri announced that New Delhi and Beijing reached an agreement to disengage in the remaining friction points at LAC in eastern Ladakh. After the agreement, the two countries began troops disengagement at the two friction points at Demchok and Depsang plains on October 23.

India-China relations worsened because of the Chinese troops’ aggression along the Line of Actual Control, the de facto border, in April 2020. It further deteriorated on June 15, 2020, after 20 Indian soldiers died in the line of duty thwarting the Chinese offensive in the Galwan Valley. New Delhi had said India’s bilateral relations with China will normalise only after the situation at the LAC returns to what it was before May 2020.

Reports said that the Indian Army and the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) have pulled back their forward-deployed troops and equipment from the two flashpoints, and have also dismantled temporary structures that had been built during the four-year-long standoff.

The Indian soldiers will resume their patrolling in areas that had been cut off because of the PLA’s presence. Nonetheless, the disengagement in Depsang and Demchok will not lead to the creation of buffer zones.

Both the countries had disengaged from Galwan Valley, Pangong Tso, Gogra (PP-17A) and Hot Springs (PP-15) areas and created buffer zones. Speaking to a newspaper publication, Lieutenant General Vinod Bhatia (retd), a former director general of military operations said that the disengagement at Depsang and Demchok will facilitate patrolling by both sides in a coordinated manner, and in the agreed upon frequency and strength of the patrolling parties.

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Iran says 2 soldiers killed in Israeli air strikes

Emphasising Iran’s right to self-defense under the UN Charter, the Iranian Foreign Ministry highlighted its obligation to counter foreign aggression.

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The Iranian Army said on Saturday that two of its soldiers were killed in Israeli air strikes that targeted military bases.

Iran stated that its air defenses effectively countered the attack, resulting in the unfortunate deaths of two soldiers and some areas suffering limited damage.

The Israeli military conducted strikes on Iranian military sites after 2 am on Saturday, responding to what they cited as ongoing attacks by Iran and its allies in the region.

Following the strikes, the Israeli military announced they had successfully completed the mission and achieved their objectives.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed the precise targeting of military sites in Iran to neutralize immediate threats to Israel.

“I can now confirm that we have concluded the Israeli response to Iran’s attacks against Israel. We conducted targeted and precise strikes on military targets in Iran — thwarting immediate threats to the State of Israel,” the Israel Defence Force posted on X.

Iran’s air defense headquarters acknowledged the hits on bases in Ilam, Khuzestan, and Tehran but asserted that these attacks were effectively repelled, with investigations ongoing to assess damages. Moreover, Iran indicated its readiness to retaliate against any Israeli aggression, stating that Israel would face proportional consequences for its actions.

Iran expressed its intentions to respond to the Israeli attacks on its military bases, condemning the actions as a violation of international law and the UN Charter’s principles on the use of force.

Emphasising Iran’s right to self-defense under the UN Charter, the Iranian Foreign Ministry highlighted its obligation to counter foreign aggression.

Pakistan strongly condemned Israel’s strikes on Iran, attributing the escalation to Israel and urging the UN Security Council to intervene for peace and security.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer emphasised that Iran should refrain from retaliating against Israel, advocating for restraint on all sides to prevent further escalation.

“I am clear that Israel has the right to defend itself against Iranian aggression. I’m equally clear that we must avoid further regional escalation and urge all sides to restrain. Iran should not respond,” the PM said at a Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.

The United States advised Iran to halt its attacks on Israel to cease the ongoing violence and break the cycle of conflict, underlining the importance of de-escalation.

“We urge Iran to cease its attacks on Israel so that this cycle of fighting can end without further escalation,” U.S. National Security Council spokesman Sean Savett told reporters.

President Joe Biden was briefed on the Israeli operation throughout its development and execution by his National Security Adviser, Jake Sullivan.

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