WASHINGTON – The order to withdraw American troops from Syria has beensigned, the US military said Sunday, after President Donald Trump and hisTurkish counterpart agreed to prevent a power vacuum in the wake of thecontroversial move.
The announcement that US troops would leave the civil war-racked country –where they have been deployed to assist in the multinational fight againstthe Islamic State (IS) jihadist group — shocked global partners andAmerican politicians alike.
“The execute order for Syria has been signed,” a US military spokespersontold AFP when asked about the withdrawal order, without providing furtherdetails.
Turkey was a rare ally that lauded Trump’s momentous decision on Syria, acountry where it will now have a freer rein to target US-allied Kurdishfighters who have played a major role in the war against IS but are deemedterrorists by Ankara.
Trump and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke by telephone on Sunday and”agreed to ensure coordination between their countries’ military,diplomatic and other officials to avoid a power vacuum which could resultfollowing any abuse of the withdrawal and transition phase in Syria,” theTurkish presidency said in a statement.
Late Sunday, Trump tweeted that Erdogan had assured him that any remainingIS fighters in Syria will be eliminated.