Güler: Trump may withdraw US troops from Syria

ANKARA

Defense Minister Yaşar Güler has expressed confidence that U.S. troops in Syria could be withdrawn by President-elect Donald Trump.

"Trump gave instructions to withdraw troops from Syria three times during his presidency," Güler said in a televised interview on private broadcaster TV100 on Nov. 12.

His comments come amid renewed diplomatic efforts between Türkiye and Syria, with both sides signaling potential rapprochement.

"I think Mr. Trump will strongly focus on this and withdraw American troops from Syria and the region," he stated.

"Right now, our relations with our American friends are already very positive. There will be no regression. I assess that it can go even further."

Türkiye has long criticized U.S. support for YPG in the fight against ISIL. Ankara regards it as the Syrian offshoot of PKK, which is designated as a terrorist organization by Türkiye, the U.S. and the EU.

"No terrorist organization is established to disarm, but they are [forced] to disarm," Güler added. "It is our duty to find ways and means to make these terrorist organizations lay down their arms."

Türkiye and Syria have been at odds since the Arab Spring uprisings in 2011 plunged the latter into a protracted and devastating conflict.

The war has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives, involved numerous foreign powers and fragmented the country.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan recently expressed openness to inviting Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad to discussions, while Damascus officials have indicated that normalization hinges on Türkiye withdrawing its forces from northern Syria.

Türkiye retains control over sections of northern Syria following a series of military operations from 2016 to 2020.

Efforts mediated by Russia in 2022 to resolve territorial issues stalled when Syria insisted on the withdrawal of Turkish forces.

Meanwhile, Türkiye has intensified military operations in Iraq and Syria following a deadly PKK attack last month on a state-run aerospace company in Ankara.

The attack at the Turkish Aerospace Industries (TUSAŞ) premises resulted in the deaths of five people, as well as more than 20 injuries. The assailants were subsequently killed.

Last week, Erdoğan told reporters that he had a "candid" phone call with Trump shortly after the latter's victory.

"[During the conversation] they were having a family dinner and Elon Musk, and his son were also there. We have talked about the election process and the Turkish-American ties," he said.

“He [Trump] had nice words about Türkiye. I have invited him to our country. I hope he will come and we can, therefore, strengthen our cooperation differently from the past period."