Erdogan Welcomes US Troop Withdrawal from Syria; 'Turkey's Operation' Against Syrian Kurds Delayed

On Friday, Recep Tayyip Erdogan cautiously welcomed the decision of the US President to withdraw American troops from Syria, stating that Turkey would delay its military operation against Syrian Kurds in the northeastern regions of the country. According to Reuters, Donald Trump's decision to withdraw about 2,000 US troops from Syria has completely overturned a pillar of Washington's policy in the Middle East. Critics argue that this decision will make finding a political solution to the eight-year civil war in Syria more difficult. The US is 'planning for a complete and rapid withdrawal of its forces from Syria.' However, from Ankara's perspective, this decision removes one of the points of contention between Turkey and the US. The Turkish government has consistently complained about US military cooperation with Syrian Kurdish forces in recent years. The Turkish government views the Syrian Kurdish fighters (People's Protection Units) who seek autonomy and control over areas bordering Turkey as a branch of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and thus considers them a terrorist group. Last week, Erdogan announced that the Turkish army would soon launch an operation to expel Syrian Kurdish fighters from areas east of the Euphrates River. He recently stated that this operation could begin at any moment, but on Friday he said that due to the recent US decision to withdraw from Syria and a phone conversation with Donald Trump, this operation would be delayed. In his speech in Istanbul, Erdogan said, 'Last week we decided to carry out an offensive military operation in the eastern areas of the Euphrates River. The phone call with President Trump, the diplomatic contacts between the two countries, and the recent US decision made us wait a little longer.' The Turkish president added, 'We will delay the military operation in the eastern areas of the Euphrates until the consequences of the US troop withdrawal become clear.' He emphasized that 'this waiting period will not be indefinite.' The Turkish government has repeatedly complained about the slow implementation of its agreement with the US regarding the withdrawal of Syrian Kurdish forces from Manbij, a predominantly Arab city west of the Euphrates. Meanwhile, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu stated, 'We have an agreement regarding the situation in the city of Manbij, and we have discussed its implementation before the withdrawal of US troops.' He added, 'Turkey and the US need to coordinate on many issues, and there should not be a vacuum in Syria that terrorists might fill.'