Maariv: US condition for Erdogan in exchange for withdrawing US forces from Syria
The Israeli Maariv newspaper reported that foreign diplomatic sources indicated coordination between the US President and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan regarding the withdrawal of US forces from Syria.
This comes with a Turkish pledge to improve relations with Israel, which witnessed a significant deterioration after the events of October 7.
The Turkish president’s hostile stance towards Israel was accompanied by widespread criticism from the Turkish media and public, as they pointed out the existence of undeclared economic relations with Israel, in contrast to his harsh public statements.
Maariv stated that during the months of war, Erdogan announced the severing of trade and diplomatic relations with Israel, and even went so far as to threaten military intervention in Israeli territory.
According to the Israeli newspaper, it seems that Erdogan may be forced to reconsider his position under US pressure.
According to the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office, there are no indications of specific US intentions regarding the continued presence of US forces in Syria.
Recently, the Trump administration has indicated that former US President Donald Trump intends to withdraw US forces from Syria soon.
It’s worth noting that the Pentagon announced in late December that it would increase the number of US soldiers in Syria from 900 to 2,000 soldiers.
Pentagon spokesman Gen. Pat Ryder said the troops are being sent in for nine to 12-month periods to combat ISIS, as most of the troops are US.
During his election campaign, Trump called for reducing US involvement in Syria, and promised to withdraw troops, which he seems to be seeking to achieve now that he has begun his term.
Throughout the war, Erdogan has launched repeated verbal attacks against the Israeli occupation, focusing his criticism on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in particular.
