Turkey Warns France Against Remaining in Syria Amid US Pullout

TEHRAN (defapress)- Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu commented on Paris’ plans to remain in Syria amid the withdrawal of US troops, saying that "there will be no benefit to anyone”, according to Anadolu news agency.

News ID: 74553

Date: 25 December 2018 - 14:21

According to the news outlet Hurriyet, the Turkish foreign ministry stated on Tuesday that the country's military is determined to enter Northern Syria East of the Euphrates river as soon as possible.

The development comes on the heels of reports saying that the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had invited his US counterpart Donald trump to visit Ankara, as well as reports stating that military officials of both states would hold a meeting to better coordinate their actions in Syria.

Trump declared that the US would pull out its nearly 2,000 servicemen from Syria as the Daesh terrorist group had been crushed in the country. The decision was met with criticism from Washington's European allies, including Germany and France.

The subsequent media speculations suggested that Trump made the move only after being reassured by Erdogan that Turkey would eliminate the terrorist remnants in Syria.

In December, Erdogan announced that Turkish forces were prepared to kick off an offensive on the East bank of the Euphrates against Kurdish formations as soon as possible. Later, Cavusoglu announced that the operation in Northern Syria would be postponed until the Americans withdraw from the region completely.

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