After dozens of Turkish soldiers were killed by Syrian forces in a late-February airstrike near Idlib, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo condemned the attack. Pompeo said he was looking for ways the United States can aid Turkey. It may have sounded like a simple statement on behalf of a NATO ally, but Pompeo’s remark risked convincing the Turks that the Trump administration welcomes Turkish military engagement in the conflict. To this we must add the news that the United States is considering supplying Ankara with Patriot missiles for use against Syria.
