Trump accuses Turkiye of orchestrating events leading to Al-Assad’s fall in Syria

On Monday, US President-elect Donald Trump accused Turkiye of being behind the events in Syria that led to the fall of President Bashar al-Assad’s regime.

In a press conference, Trump stated that Turkiye executed a “hostile takeover” by enabling armed factions to control Syria, noting that they carried out the operation effectively.

Trump asserted, “Turkiye will have the ability to control the course of events in Syria,” emphasizing that “many things remain unclear in Syria.”

“I think Turkey is very smart… Turkey did an unfriendly takeover, without a lot of lives being lost. I can say that Assad was a butcher, what he did to children,” Trump said.

The comment highlights the complexities in US-Turkey relations, as Ankara’s growing influence in the region raises questions about future American policies in Syria.

Trump also remarked on the uncertainty surrounding Syria’s future. “Syria has a lot of indefinites,” he said, adding that Turkey “will hold the key” to what happens next.

In December, Syrian opposition factions announced on state television the “liberation of Damascus and the overthrow of Bashar Al-Assad.” On December 9, the Kremlin announced that President Vladimir Putin had decided to grant Al-Assad asylum in Russia, which had deployed air force units to Syria in 2015 to help Al-Assad fend off opposition forces.