The Latest: Turkey welcomes withdrawal of US troops in Syria
Posted December 21, 2018 6:43 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
BERLIN — The Latest on developments in and related to Syria (all times local):
1:35 p.m.
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu says his country welcomes the decision by President Donald Trump to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria.
Cavusoglu spoke Friday during a visit to Malta in comments that were broadcast on Turkish television. His comments were the first official reaction to the U.S. decision to pull troops out.
The minister spoke of a need to co-ordinate the withdrawal with the United States and said all countries need to be vigilant toward the remnants of the Islamic State group.
He also warned that the withdrawal should not create a vacuum that could be filled by terrorist groups.
Cavusoglu said the international community needs to focus on a “political process” for the future of Syria.
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1:15 p.m.
The German government says it wasn’t consulted by Washington before the United States announced the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Syria.
Government spokeswoman Ulrike Demmer told reporters in Berlin on Friday that Berlin would have appreciated prior consultations.
Demmer said the U.S. decision could affect the dynamics of the conflict, adding that “much remains to be done” for a final victory over the Islamic State group.
She said the United States is an “important ally” but declined to say whether Germany considers it a “reliable” one, too.
German Defence Ministry spokesman Jens Flosdorff said the decision has no immediate impact on Germany’s aerial surveillance missions over Syria.
The Associated Press
