U.S. President-elect Donald Trump said President Erdoğan is his friend, as he noted that he’s someone he likes and respects, while highlighting Türkiye’s crucial role in Syria.
Trump addressed key foreign policy issues during a press briefing at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida on Tuesday, emphasizing the situation in Syria and Türkiye’s critical role in the region.
Trump, who significantly reduced the U.S. military presence in Syria during his previous term, responded cautiously to questions about the remaining 2,000 American troops in the country. When asked whether these troops would be withdrawn, Trump said, he wouldn’t respond because it’s part of a military strategy. But he continued by saying that it was about Türkiye, underscoring Ankara’s key role in shaping developments on the ground.
He previously hailed Türkiye’s regional role as a major power and his personal ties with Erdoğan, as he said Ankara would play a key role in the future of Syria following the ouster of Assad regime.
In Syria, the U.S. has long partnered with the SDF as its primary anti-Daesh partner, over strenuous objections from Türkiye. The group is led by the YPG, the Syrian offshoot of the PKK, a designated terrorist group in the U.S. and Türkiye. Washington’s support for the SDF has greatly exacerbated tensions in bilateral relations between the NATO allies.
Since Assad’s fall, clashes have been ongoing between the SDF and the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army.