Turkey baffled by Trump’s pledge to exit Syria as Macron vows to step in
Ankara’s enthusiasm over President Trump's promise to pull out of Syria is dampened by President Macron’s promise to increase support for Syrian Kurdish groups opposed by Turkey.
The meeting between President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Russian and Iranian counterparts, Vladimir Putin and Hassan Rouhani, in Ankara this week has gained added significance for Turkey in light of potentially game-changing developments in Syria.
First there was President Donald Trump’s remark about withdrawing from Syria, and then there was French President Emmanuel Macron’s vow to provide strong backing for Syrian Kurdish groups opposed by Turkey as terrorist organizations.
Trump's surprise remarks on March 29 — and his decision to freeze $200 million allocated for regions held by Washington’s Kurdish allies in Syria — have been warmly welcomed by Ankara, despite lingering doubts.
Talking to reporters on March 31 as he was flying back from a visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Prime Minister Binali Yildirim complimented Trump on his “courageous decision.” He added that although different branches of the US government were saying they knew nothing about plans to withdraw from Syria, it was Trump’s words that Turkey looked to.
