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The ‘Complicated’ Relationship Between The U.S., Turkey and The Kurds

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10min 08sec
Cyprus Kurds Protest
Petros Karadjias/AP
Kurds living in Cyprus shout slogans in front of the U.S. embassy to protest Turkey’s offensive into Syria, in Nicosia, Cyprus, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2019. The protesters, waving Cypriot and Kurdish flags as well as placards pledging support for Syria’s Kurdish population, chanted slogans condemning Turkey’s military action and urged for the withdrawal of Turkish forces. (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias)

Turkey is waging an offensive in neighboring Syria. The target: Kurdish fighters. The Kurds played a central role in helping the United States take on ISIS. Still, Turkey's move came with U.S. help. Is this an example of the Trump Administration turning its back on an ally or choosing to stand alongside a different one?

Karl Schneider, of the Colorado Springs World Affairs Council, says the answer is complicated.