Trump States Erdogan Will “Finish Off” ISIS In Syria
US President Donald Trump stated Turkey will put an end to the Islamic State in Syria and acknowledged President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as “a man who can do it”.
Trump was resolute in his decision to withdraw US troops from the region which led to the resignation of US Defense Secretary James Mattis.
Mattis stated that America “must show respect” to its allies.
To defend his decision, Trump sent out the following tweet in support of Erdogan:
“President Erdogan of Turkey has very strongly informed me that he will eradicate whatever is left of ISIS in Syria….and he is a man who can do it plus, Turkey is right ‘next door.’ Our troops are coming home!”
Currently, the US has deployed around 2,000 troops in the civil war-racked country to provide assistance in the battle against the Islamic State (ISIL) jihadist group.
Mr. Trump and Mr. Erdogan had a recent conversation over the telephone. President Erdogan shared some of their discussion points:
“We agreed to ensure coordination between their countries’ military, diplomatic and other officials to avoid a power vacuum which could result following any abuse of the withdrawal and transition phase in Syria.”
Mr. Trump tweeted that he and Mr Erdogan “discussed (ISIL), our mutual involvement in Syria, & the slow & highly coordinated pullout of US troops from the area.”
Washington advisers have cautioned Trump about pulling the troops hastily because this move would compromise their safety. Mr. Trump’s unexpected move created internal rifts, leading to resignations of Brett McGurk, the special envoy to the anti-Isil coalition and Defense Secretary James Mattis.
International allies expressed that the withdrawal is premature and would further destabilize the war torn region.
French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday said he “deeply regretted” President Trump’s decision, and that “an ally must be reliable.”
A US pullout, said Mutlu Civiroglu, a Kurdish affairs analyst, will open the way “for Turkey to start its operations against the Kurds, and a bloody war will begin.”
When he won the presidency in 2016, Trump assailed the increasing costs incurred by the United States when it sent its military troops to handle the problems of other countries.
President Trump vowed that the United States would step back from international involvement and allow nations to settle disputes their own way. This paved the way for his ideology of Principled Realism.
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