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

Turkey is determined to conduct a military operation east of the Euphrates River. Neither Washington's objections and expressions of concern nor Moscow's call for common sense and dialogue are getting through to the Turks.

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

The future of the YPG is the top priority for Ankara since the beginning; therefore, unless the U.S. stops challenging Turkey on this matter, their bilateral relations can never get back on track

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?

Ankara is perturbed by the U.S. plan to set up observation points in northern Syria controlled by the PKK-affiliated People's Protection Units (YPG) due to concerns that it may lead to legitimizing the group's presence in the area.

The same day the congressional elections took place in the U.S., the State Department announced that it would offer rewards for information leading to the arrest of three major PKK figures, namely Murat Karayılan, Cemil Bayık and Duran Kalkan.

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

The U.S. has decided to put a bounty on the heads of top three PKK terrorists. The step has been seen in Ankara as a belated move and insufficient to restore trust in ties, as Washington continues to back the YPG – the PKK's Syrian offshoot

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

While long distance has been covered against Daesh on many fronts, war is still far from complete