“I saw the messages, we are trying to track them. They are terrible, and if they are true, I suppose they are true, then they can be regarded as war crimes, ”he said.
Esper also said the Pentagon will continue to track reports of war crimes and hopes that those responsible will be held accountable.
“In many cases, the Turkish authorities can be found guilty,” the Pentagon chief added.
Earlier, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that the United States, if necessary, is "fully prepared" for the use of military force against Turkey, but Washington will "prefer peace to war."
Turkey’s military operation "Source of Peace" began in the northeast of the SAR on October 9. On October 17, Ankara and Washington agreed to suspend hostilities in Syria to allow Kurdish forces to leave the security zone.
An expert with the Russian Institute for Strategic Studies, Vladimir Fitin, in an interview with Sputnik Radio, said that evaluating the statements of the current American administration is extremely critical, as "leapfrog is constantly present in these statements."