Assad's Ouster Termed an 'unfriendly takeover' by Türkiye, Says Trump
According to US President-elect Donald Trump, Türkiye is responsible for the regime change in Syria. Read the complete article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
Ankara is now said to "hold the key" to Syria’s future, according to US President-elect Donald Trump, who made these remarks during his first press briefing following the November election. Trump asserted that Türkiye is behind the regime change in Syria, describing the toppling of Bashar Assad as an “unfriendly takeover” orchestrated by Ankara.
In recent weeks, the landscape in Syria has shifted dramatically after militants from the Hayat Tahrir-al-Sham jihadist group launched a significant offensive against government troops, capturing major cities, including the capital, Damascus. This upheaval led to the collapse of the Syrian military and the subsequent ousting of President Assad, who sought refuge in Russia, where he was granted political asylum.
“Those people that went in are controlled by Türkiye, and that’s OK,” Trump remarked, commending Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as a “smart” and “very tough” leader for his role in the overthrow of the Syrian administration. He added, “[Türkiye] wanted [Syria] for thousands of years, and he got it… Türkiye did an unfriendly takeover without a lot of lives being lost.” Trump also acknowledged Türkiye’s “major military force” that “has not been worn out with war.”
The president-elect emphasized Türkiye's significance for Syria's future, stating, “Nobody knows what the final outcome is going to be in the region. Nobody knows who will rule in the final... Right now, Syria has a lot of indefinites, but I think Türkiye is going to hold the key to Syria.”
With a border exceeding 900 kilometers, Türkiye is the longest land border for Syria and has been a principal supporter of opposition factions attempting to topple Assad since the onset of the civil war in 2011. Ankara's influence extends to the jihadi group HTS, which, despite being designated as a terrorist organization, is thought to have significant ties to Türkiye.
Furthermore, Türkiye supports the Syrian National Army, which recently launched its offensive in the eastern region, seeking to leverage the recent downfall of the Syrian government forces. Just days before Assad was ousted, Erdogan expressed support for the insurgency, encouraging the armed groups to continue their advance towards Damascus.
In the wake of Assad's removal, Washington and Ankara—each backing various rebel factions—have engaged in discussions regarding stabilization efforts and strategies to counter the resurgence of the Islamic State in Syria. Following a meeting between US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan last week, both sides agreed to collaborate on preventing extremist groups from exploiting the ongoing instability and to pursue a peace initiative aimed at establishing an interim government in the region.
Mathilde Moreau contributed to this report for TROIB News
In recent weeks, the landscape in Syria has shifted dramatically after militants from the Hayat Tahrir-al-Sham jihadist group launched a significant offensive against government troops, capturing major cities, including the capital, Damascus. This upheaval led to the collapse of the Syrian military and the subsequent ousting of President Assad, who sought refuge in Russia, where he was granted political asylum.
“Those people that went in are controlled by Türkiye, and that’s OK,” Trump remarked, commending Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as a “smart” and “very tough” leader for his role in the overthrow of the Syrian administration. He added, “[Türkiye] wanted [Syria] for thousands of years, and he got it… Türkiye did an unfriendly takeover without a lot of lives being lost.” Trump also acknowledged Türkiye’s “major military force” that “has not been worn out with war.”
The president-elect emphasized Türkiye's significance for Syria's future, stating, “Nobody knows what the final outcome is going to be in the region. Nobody knows who will rule in the final... Right now, Syria has a lot of indefinites, but I think Türkiye is going to hold the key to Syria.”
With a border exceeding 900 kilometers, Türkiye is the longest land border for Syria and has been a principal supporter of opposition factions attempting to topple Assad since the onset of the civil war in 2011. Ankara's influence extends to the jihadi group HTS, which, despite being designated as a terrorist organization, is thought to have significant ties to Türkiye.
Furthermore, Türkiye supports the Syrian National Army, which recently launched its offensive in the eastern region, seeking to leverage the recent downfall of the Syrian government forces. Just days before Assad was ousted, Erdogan expressed support for the insurgency, encouraging the armed groups to continue their advance towards Damascus.
In the wake of Assad's removal, Washington and Ankara—each backing various rebel factions—have engaged in discussions regarding stabilization efforts and strategies to counter the resurgence of the Islamic State in Syria. Following a meeting between US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan last week, both sides agreed to collaborate on preventing extremist groups from exploiting the ongoing instability and to pursue a peace initiative aimed at establishing an interim government in the region.
Mathilde Moreau contributed to this report for TROIB News
