HADERA, Israel — President-elect Donald Trump on Monday claimed Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was behind the fast fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria final week, as Israeli officers cautioned the US to maintain a watchful eye on the Sunni authoritarian chief.
Chatting with reporters at his Mar-a-Lago resort, Trump declared that the “very sensible” Erdogan directed the rise up that led to the overthrow of Syria’s brutal Assad regime on Dec. 8, noting that the rise up was “one other strategy to battle.”
”No one is aware of who the opposite aspect is, however I do. it’s Turkey, OK? Turkey is the one behind it,” he mentioned. “And people people who went in are managed by Turkey, and that’s OK.”
Requested whether or not Trump would take away the 900 American troops at the moment in Syria when he takes workplace subsequent month, the president-elect reminded journalists that “no one is aware of what the ultimate consequence goes to be within the area.”
”I don’t suppose that I need to have our troopers killed, however I don’t suppose that may occur now anyway, as a result of the one [Assad regime] aspect has been decimated,” Trump mentioned.
“I feel Turkey may be very sensible. [Erdogan] is a really sensible man, he’s very robust,” Trump mentioned, “however Turkey did an unfriendly takeover with out lots of lives being misplaced.”
Whereas the overthrow of the Assad regime was usually welcomed by the Western world, Israeli officers on Monday warned the US towards celebrating the presumed ascension of Turkish energy in Syria.
Israel’s army is at the moment combating to remove weapons depots in southern Syria to stabilize the area and shield its residents close to its border with the Islamic nation, analysts have mentioned.
“Erdogan is a disciple of the Muslim Brotherhood. He’s an Islamist radical in Turkey. He’s behind Syria’s rebels that got here from al Qaeda, from Daesh, from different very radical teams,” Israeli scholar and former Knesset member Ruth Wasserman Lande instructed The Put up in Israel on Monday.
Nevertheless, Turkey is a member of the NATO safety alliance, which may imply the US and different allies may maintain some affect over the nation.
“Turkey, with Erdogan on the helm, is supportive of Hamas and supportive of the Muslim Brotherhood, that are the identical factor,” she mentioned. “And now the complete Syrian gang goes to be ruled by rebels who are also supported by Turkey and assist Hamas.”
Wasserman Lande added that the excellence “is a vital connection to make,” particularly because the incoming Trump administration intends to assist Israel in its battle towards terror teams within the area.
”These are usually not disconnected arenas, and the USA must put an enormous vigilant watch on Erdogan, significantly as a result of he’s a member of NATO,” she additionally mentioned.
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