GENOA (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 08th October, 2019) The decision of US President Donald Trump to withdraw troops from Northern Syria while Turkey is about to launch an anti-terrorist operation there was dictated by the NATO partnership between Washington and Ankara, which they prioritized over their differing interests in the region, a top official in the Kurdish-led administration of the region told Sputnik.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced on Saturday that Ankara could launch a military operation in neighboring Syria, east of the Euphrates River, in coming days, in order to clear the border area of Kurdish militants � whom Turkey considers to be terrorists � create a security zone, and accommodate Syrian refugees.
Meanwhile the United States, who used to support Kurdish forces in northern Syria, has started to withdraw troops from the area. The White House stated it would not "support or be involved in" Turkey's operation.
"Trump's recent decision does not serve peace and counterterrorism efforts. This shows that the two NATO allies have reached an agreement to preserve their interests because of their strategic alliance and despite some conflicts that arise between them," Badran Jiakurd, adviser to the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria, said.
