US President-elect Donald Trump on Monday called the recent ouster of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad a “friendly takeover” orchestrated by Turkey.
At a press conference at the Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida on Monday, Trump condemned Assad’s brutal regime and praised Turkey’s strategy as “very smart.”
By supporting the rebels, “Turkey made a friendly acquisition without losing many lives. I can say that Assad was a butcher, especially what he did to the children,” Trump said.
Trump also expressed uncertainty about Syria’s future, saying “Syria has a lot of uncertainties,” adding that Turkey “will hold the key” to what happens next.
Turkey, which controls large swaths of northern Syria after several cross-border attacks against the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia, has been a key supporter of opposition groups seeking to oust Assad, backed by Iran and Russia, since the start of the civil war. 2011.
Since Assad’s ouster, Washington and Ankara have engaged in discussions to prevent the resurgence of Islamic State militants in Syria. To deal with this threat, the US has deployed about 900 soldiers in eastern Syria.
Asked what to do with those forces, Trump pointed to Turkey’s military might and strong ties with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan.
“Erdogan is someone I’ve met with great… He’s built a very strong, powerful military,” Trump said.
Alluding to Turkey’s Ottoman legacy, which includes control of present-day Syria, Trump added, “They wanted it for thousands of years, and they got it, and the people who went there are in control of Turkey, and that’s fine.”
(with input from Reuters)
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