When President Trump decided to officially withdraw American troops from Kurdish-controlled Syria, many people, including some in his own administration, were shocked. But the Kurds, themselves? Today’s guest says, “Not so much.”   In this episode, Ian Bremmer breaks down the long and tragic history of the Kurdish people, the group’s geopolitical significance in the region and beyond, and the many times the U.S. has left this ally stranded politically or militarily. This show also contains a field interview with NYC pizza magnate Hakki Akdeniz, a Kurdish immigrant who came to the U.S. broke and homeless. He now has a booming business, more than 3 million Instagram followers, and he’s giving back by feeding homeless people on the city streets.

Subscribe to the GZERO World with Ian Bremmer Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your preferred podcast platform, to receive new episodes as soon as they're published.