"Don't be a fool" letter returned to Trump, says Erdogan

Visiting Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Wednesday that he has returned a letter from U.S. President Donald Trump that urged him not to be "a fool" on attacking Syria.

"This letter was represented to Mr. President this afternoon," Erdogan told a press conference after meeting with Trump at the White House, adding, "we gave back the letter that we have received."

On Oct. 9, Trump wrote a letter to Erdogan, urging him to exercise restraint in deploying military forces in Syria against Kurdish forces.

"Don't be a tough guy. Don't be a fool!" Trump wrote at the end of the letter.

The letter, which was leaked to the public days after it was penned, went viral on social media and received a backlash for its unconventional language style. It failed to stop Erdogan from ordering his troops to enter Syria.

Previous reports by the BBC suggested that Erdogan threw the letter "in the bin" upon receiving it.

(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)