Trump's withdrawal decision may boost ties with Ankara

Most of the critics who strongly oppose the idea of the U.S.' withdrawal from Syria have not come up with a convincing explanation in regard to their opposition nor have they provided an alternative proposal

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Trump's withdrawal decision may boost ties with Ankara
The new road map in Syria

The new road map in Syria

Turkey and the Trump administration must actively coordinate their efforts to plan the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Syria. Trump's pledge to leave Syria slowly and in coordination with Turkey was a good sign. Still, both sides must be vigilant to ensure that U.S. Central Command won't derail the process

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U.S. President Donald Trump came under fire for his decision to pull out of Syria. Critics argue that Washington's withdrawal marks a rare and clear victory for Russia, and claim that the United States looked like an unreliable ally by "betraying" the People's Protection Units (YPG), the PKK terrorist organization's Syrian affiliate.

How will the U.S. withdrawal reshape the inter- and intra-group dynamics in Syria? How will the withdrawal influence Turkey’s planned operation east of the Euphrates? How will this decision affect U.S.-Turkey relations?

Trump tweeted victory over Daesh and said he was pulling US troops from Syria. Turkey and Russia have welcomed the decision. France and the UK say they're staying engaged. The US withdrawal could change the balance of forces in the Syrian war.

Cooperating with Turkey is the most rational way for President Trump to successfully implement his decision to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria

Experts: Turkey's national security concerns driving operation east of Euphrates

Turkey's national security concerns, which have been fueled by the unpredictable and insecure moves by the United States in northern Syria, have pushed Ankara to take the lead in completely eradicating terror threats on its borders with a military offensive, experts have said.

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Experts Turkey's national security concerns driving operation east of Euphrates
What does the US withdrawal from Syria mean

What does the US withdrawal from Syria mean?

The US has announced that its operation against Daesh is over and that it will withdraw from Syria, after Turkey revealed its plans for an operation in the country.

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Security concerns are the sole motivation for the Turkish military, which is about to launch a counterterror operation in northern Syria

Ankara has declared a counterterror offensive against the YPG, signaling that it is time for U.S. forces to step back from northern Syria in order to avoid a possible confrontation with the Turkish military

What are the backstage strategic calculations of the U.S. rewards offer? What are the expected initial reactions of the relevant actors? What are the pragmatic implications of the rewards offer in terms of the interests of the relevant actors?

President Erdoğan has called on Western powers to stop trying to negotiate new Sykes-Picot style agreements in the Middle East and North Africa, and urges them to support Turkey's fight against terrorism

Ankara will never allow the YPG, or whatever the Americans intend to call it in the future, to represent Syrian Kurds at the negotiating table

President Erdoğan's visit to Paris for Armistice Day commemorations is expected to see a meeting with his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump, during which key issues, particularly FETÖ and the YPG, will be discussed

Turkey has said it is resolutely committed to clearing the YPG terror threat from northeastern Syria and recently shelled YPG positions along its borders. Experts say Ankara will no longer wait around for the Manbij deal and will take any necessary steps to address the issue

The Khashoggi affair is a stark reminder for the White House of how important a partnership with Ankara is in order to be engaged with developments in the Middle East

President Trump's foreign policy approach and rhetoric suggest that the United States will stick to a particularly crude brand of unilateralism permanently.

One of the most significant unknowns in Washington for the last seven years has been the Syrian policy. The inconsistency between rhetoric and policy, the absence of a strategy and indecisiveness were considered the pillars of the U.S. position

The foreign policy makers of the Trump administration are damaging the U.S.' prestige among its allies, leaving the country more isolated than ever

The strained atmosphere between Turkey and the U.S. is not likely to change until Trump stops being a bully

Credibility of US government with a president as 'erratic' as Trump is greatly diminished, says expert