U.S. pushes Turkey to back down in Syria

President Donald Trump told Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan “don’t be a fool” in a letter urging restraint ahead of Turkey’s invasion in northeastern Syria. The White House confirmed Trump sent the missive on Oct. 9. He told Erdogan he could destroy Turkey’s economy and cautioned him not to act like a “tough guy” but be willing instead to “work out a good deal.”

What’s the latest on the conflict? Turkish troops are pushing ahead with their offensive after Trump withdrew U.S. troops from the region. On Thursday, U.S. Vice President Mike Pence, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and a U.S. delegation are meeting with Erdogan in Ankara, Turkey, to try to broker a cease-fire. Aid groups are struggling to reach 1.6 million people who already need humanitarian assistance. Hundreds of refugees crossed into Iraq in the past week. The International Rescue Committee and Doctors Without Borders pulled their teams from the region, citing the “highly unpredictable and fast-changing situation.”

Dig deeper: Read Trump’s letter to Erdogan and Harvest Prude’s report in The Stew about the geopolitical ramifications of the Turkish offensive in Syria.