US President-elect Donald Trump on Monday termed the recent ouster of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad as an “unfriendly takeover” orchestrated by Turkey.
During a press conference at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida on Monday, Trump praised Turkey’s strategy, calling it “very smart,” while condemning Assad’s brutal regime.
By supporting the rebels, “Turkey did an unfriendly takeover, without a lot of lives being lost. I can say that Assad was a butcher, especially with what he did to children,” Trump stated.
Trump also expressed uncertainty about Syria’s future, saying, “Syria has a lot of indefinites,” and adding that Turkey “will hold the key” to what happens next.
Turkey, which controls large areas of northern Syria following multiple cross-border incursions against the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia, has been a key supporter of opposition groups trying to overthrow Assad, who has received backing from Iran and Russia, since the civil war began in 2011.
Since Assad’s removal, Washington and Ankara have engaged in discussions about preventing the resurgence of Islamic State militants in Syria. The US has maintained around 900 troops in eastern Syria to counter this threat.
When asked what he will do with those troops, Trump pointed to Turkey’s military strength and his strong relationship with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan.
“Erdogan is somebody I got along with great … He’s built a very strong, powerful army,” Trump said.
Hinting at Turkey’s Ottoman legacy, which included control over present-day Syria, Trump added, “They’ve wanted it for thousands of years, and he got it, and those people that went in are controlled by Turkey, and that’s OK.”
(With input from Reuters)
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