President Donald Trump Praises Turkey's Geopolitical Success Under President Erdogan
Under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Turkey is striving to become a global power in international politics. Even countries like the United States, Russia, and China, who are current superpowers, have accepted Ankara's stance for its own interests. Recently, Turkey achieved a significant success in geopolitics, leading to praise from the elected U.S. President Donald Trump. He also hinted at the future direction of Turkey's relationship with NATO in the coming years.
This information was reported by Al Jazeera on Tuesday (December 17).
According to the report, President Trump referred to the ousting of Bashar al-Assad in Syria as an "unfriendly takeover." For over a decade, Turkey had been regularly supporting Assad's opposition in the ongoing civil war, while Iran and Russia had been fighting on Assad's side. As a result, Moscow and Tehran suffered a significant loss with Assad's downfall, which was a victory for Turkey.
At a press conference held at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida, Trump praised Turkey, stating that Ankara had been very clever. Without causing massive casualties, Turkey managed to take control of power in Syria without any allies. During the press conference, Trump also called Assad a "butcher" and stated that the ousted Syrian dictator had even tortured children to stay in power.
When asked about U.S. troops stationed in Syria, Trump said no one knows what will happen in Syria. However, he believes that Turkey will play an important role in shaping the country’s future policies. This statement is interpreted as a hint that Washington will increasingly rely on Ankara to protect U.S. interests in the region. Trump's remarks also suggest a shift in U.S. domestic and foreign policy before taking office. Previously, the Republican leader had stated that the U.S. had no business in Syria and that those fighting should resolve their own conflicts.
The United States has deployed nearly 1,000 troops in Syria to provide military advice to Kurdish and other anti-Assad armed groups. These U.S. troops also assist Kurdish and other forces in fighting the terrorist group ISIS in the region. However, during his first term, Trump had wanted to withdraw 900 troops from Syria but later reversed that decision under pressure from allies.
