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