Asked about Erdogan's trustworthiness not to turn on the US-backed Kurds in Syria, Pompeo made this dubious point: "Erdogan made a commitment to President Trump... that the Turks would continue to the counter ISIS campaign after our departure, and that the Turks would ensure that the folks that we'd fought with — that assisted us in the counter ISIS campaign — would be protected," according to CNBC. Pompeo explained further that John Bolton is going to speak with Turkey during his visit there on how to put that promise into operation.

If having to elicit simple assurances that Erdogan — who was years ago definitively established as among state sponsors of ISIS in order slaughter the Kurds and attempt regime change in Damascus — will obey the United States and refrain from slaughtering the Kurds isn't absurd enough, The New York Times also on Monday gave Erdogan lengthy editorial space to assure the world that "Turkey Has a Plan to Restore Peace in Syria" in what seems an attempt at well-timed propaganda.