Turkey rejects Trump's claim that Ankara orchestrated 'unfriendly takeover' of Syria

Turkey on Wednesday rejected US President-elect Donald Trump’s claim that the ousting of Syrian President Bashar Al Assad by the rebel group was an “unfriendly takeover” by Ankara. In an interview with Al Jazeera, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan raised concerns about the narrative pushed by Trump.

“We wouldn’t call it a takeover, because it would be a grave mistake to present what’s been happening in Syria in those terms,” Fidan told the Qatar-based news outlet on Wednesday. “For Syrian people, it is not a takeover. I think if there is any takeover, it’s the will of the Syrian people which is taking over now," he added. The 24-year reign of the Syrian dictator ended after rebel groups took over the country’s capital Damascus.

While speaking on the ongoing situation in Syria, Trump on Tuesday said that Turkey controls the militants that housed the Assad. “Those people that went in are controlled by Turkey,” he said at his first press conference since winning the presidential election in November. “And that’s okay, that’s another way to fight.”

Turkey calls out Trump’s incorrect characterisation

While speaking to Al Jazeera, Fidan emphasised that it would be incorrect to characterize Turkey as the power that would eventually rule Syria. “I think that would be the last thing that we want to see, because we are drawing huge lessons from what’s been happening in our region, because the culture of domination itself has destroyed our region,” he said.

“Therefore, it is not Turkish domination, not Iranian domination, not Arab domination, but cooperation should be essential,” he added. “Our solidarity with Syrian people shouldn’t be characterised or defined today as if we are actually ruling Syria. I think that would be wrong.” Meanwhile, in the same interview, the Turkish minister warned Syria’s new rulers to address the issue of Kurdish forces in the country, whom Ankara designates as “terrorists”.

“There is a new administration in Damascus now. I think this is primarily their concern now,” Fidan said. “So, I think if they are going to, if they address this issue properly, so there would be no reason for us to intervene," he averred. Since the early days of the anti-Assad revolt, which has been brewing since 2011, Turkey has been a major backer of the rebel groups.

In the past, Ankara has hosted several political dissenters as well as millions of refugees and also backed rebel groups fighting the army.

Trump lauds Erdoğan

While in Turkey’s books, Trump assessed the situation in Syria the wrong way, the president-elect lauded the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. “Turkey is a major force, by the way,” Trump said in the Tuesday press conference. “Erdoğan is somebody I got along with great, but he has a major military force. And his has not been worn out with war. He’s built a very strong, powerful army," he added.

When asked about 900 US troops currently stationed in Syria, Trump recalled his decision to pull American soldiers out of the country during his last stint as president. “We [had] 5,000 soldiers in between a five-million-person army and a 250,000-person army, and I asked a general: ‘What do you think of that situation?’ He said: ‘They’ll be wiped out immediately.’ And I moved them out. And I took a lot of heat. And you know what happened? Nothing. Nothing. I saved a lot of lives," he said.

“Now we have 900, they put some back. If you’re talking about two, now that one of the sides has been essentially wiped out. But nobody knows who the other side is, but I do! Turkey. Turkey’s the one behind it. He’s a very smart guy, they’ve wanted it for thousands of years, and he got it," he remarked.

When asked if he is worried about the brewing tensions in the region, Trump said: “Nobody knows what the final outcome is gonna be in the region. Nobody knows who will rule in the final. I believe it is Turkey. Turkey is very smart, he is a very smart guy and he’s very tough. Turkey did an unfriendly takeover without a lot of lives being lost.”

With inputs from AFP.