Following statements from U.S. President Trump that led to the withdrawal of U.S. support from former Kurdish allies in northern Syria, Turkish troops crossed the Syrian border and attacked Kurdish positions. The backlash from the U.S. Congress, retired officials and armed forces against the “abandonment” of U.S. allies led Trump to issue Executive Order 13894[1] on Oct. 14. The order designated the Turkish Ministry of National Defence, the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources, as well as Defence Minister Hulusi Akar and Energy Minister Fatih Dönmez.