Trump announces troop withdrawal from Syria

By Vakkas Dogantekin

ANKARA (AA) - U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday reiterated his administration's commitment to withdraw troops from Syria following a telephone conversation with his Turkish counterpart a day earlier.

"The United States was supposed to be in Syria for 30 days, that was many years ago. We stayed and got deeper and deeper into battle with no aim in sight," Trump tweeted early in the morning.

Trump said ISIS -- Daesh -- was "rampant" in northern Syria when he took office but his administration "quickly defeated 100%" of the terror group by capturing all thousands of its members, "mostly from Europe".

He slammed Europe for not wanting them back and lashed at Europe.

"NO, we did you a great favor and now you want us to hold them in U.S. prisons at tremendous cost. They are yours for trials. They again said 'NO,' thinking, as usual, that the U.S. is always the 'sucker,' on NATO, on Trade, on everything," Trump said.

Trump reiterated that he is pulling the U.S. troops from conflict zones where there are no national interests.

"WE WILL FIGHT WHERE IT IS TO OUR BENEFIT, AND ONLY FIGHT TO WIN. Turkey, Europe, Syria, Iran, Iraq, Russia and the Kurds will now have to figure the situation out, and what they want to do with the captured ISIS fighters in their 'neighborhood.'," Trump said.

The U.S. president then said the Kurds, referring to YPG terror group in Syria, "were paid massive amounts of money and equipment to" fight with the U.S., in an apparent criticism of the policies of former U.S. administrations.

"They have been fighting Turkey for decades. I held off this fight for almost 3 years, but it is time for us to get out of these ridiculous Endless Wars, many of them tribal, and bring our soldiers home," Trump added.

In a statement late Sunday, the White House said Turkey will soon carry out its "long-planned operation" into northern Syria.

"The United States Armed Forces will not support or be involved in the operation, and United States forces, having defeated the ISIS [Daesh] territorial 'Caliphate,' will no longer be in the immediate area," said the statement.

It came hours after a phone call between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his U.S. counterpart Trump, during which a November meeting was planned, according to Turkish presidential sources.

Turkish president on Monday also said an operation against YPG terror group is imminent before his departure to Serbia.

In its more than 30-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK -- listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and the EU -- has been responsible for the deaths of some 40,000 people, including women, children and infants. YPG is the Syrian branch of the terrorist organization PKK.