Turkish FM: US public doubts need for military presence in Syria

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has stated that the continued presence of US forces in Syria is not a priority for the administration of US President Donald Trump.

“We see that the further presence of US troops in Syria is not among the priorities of the US president. Their being there has its own price. The American public has begun to doubt the expediency of maintaining the US military presence in Syria," Turkish media quoted Fidan as saying, per Caliber.Az.

He further added that factors such as Iran, Russia, and the regime of [former Syrian President Bashar] Assad used to be present in Syria, but now the conjuncture has changed. 

"President Trump now has to be convinced of the need for the continued presence of American troops. If America withdraws its troops, it will cost them less,” he noted.

Addressing Israel's activities on Syrian territory, Fidan recalled that “Israel has been occupying southern Syria for almost 50 years.” He warned against Israeli efforts to expand its control and establish new zones under the pretext of protecting certain ethnic and religious communities.

“Today, it is trying to expand the zone of occupation, there are attempts to declare it a weapons-free zone, citing the [problem of] Yazidis and Druze as justifications. It is important that this Israeli expansionism is rejected on all platforms,” he clarified.

Fidan further emphasized that the future of Israeli troops in Syria would ultimately be decided by the Syrian government in coordination with the international community.

By Tamilla Hasanova