President Trump said late Sunday night that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan would “eradicate” the Islamic State terror group, known as ISIS, after the U.S. leaves Syria.
President @RT_Erdogan of Turkey has very strongly informed me that he will eradicate whatever is left of ISIS in Syria….and he is a man who can do it plus, Turkey is right “next door.” Our troops are coming home!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 24, 2018
Mr. Trump’s tweet comes after several reports surfaced that his call with Turkey’s president convinced him to withdraw U.S. troops. Mr. Erdogan reportedly pushed Mr. Trump to leave the region, arguing that ISIS was mostly defeated and his country could take care of the rest.
For many critics on both sides of the aisle, ISIS returning and the Turkish threat to U.S. Kurdish allies are two of the biggest concerns they have with Mr. Trump’s withdrawal plan.
When he first announced the plan to leave Syria, Mr. Trump declared ISIS was soundly defeated by the U.S.
SEE ALSO: Trump call with Turkish leader led to U.S. pullout from Syria
• Gabriella Muñoz can be reached at gmunoz@washingtontimes.com.
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