Syria conflict: Trump and Erdogan coordinate with US troop withdrawal

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and US President Donald Trump want to coordinate their withdrawal from Syria. This was announced by the Turkish Presidency.

US President Donald Trump also said on Twitter that he had talked with Erdogan about the "slow and highly coordinated" withdrawal of US soldiers from Syria. He strove to dispel the impression that the decision was rushed, thoughtless and unprepared.

I just had a long and productive call with President @RT_Erdogan of Turkey. We discussed ISIS, our mutual involvement in Syria, & the slow & highly coordinated pullout of US troops from the area. After many years they are coming home. We therefore considered heavily expanded trade.

On Saturday, Trump had written that the IS was "largely" defeated and thus after a criticism changed its wording with a view of the IS. Other countries in the region, including Turkey, could now easily cope with what was left of the terrorist organization. Previously Trump had repeatedly stated that the IS was completely defeated in Syria.

.... goingtobethereforthreemonths, andthatwas sevenyearsago- weneverleft. When I became President, ISIS was going wild. NowISIS islargelydefeatedandotherlocalcountries, includingTurkey, shouldbeabletoeasilytakecareofwhateverremains. We'recominghome!

According to information from the Turkish news agency DHA, Turkey is already expanding its troops on the border with Syria. Erdogan had announced a day before that he would postpone a military operation against the Kurdish YPG troops. The US considers the YPG as its main ally in the war against the terrorist organization "Islamic State" (IS).