By Deutsche Welle
Dec 16, 2024, 7:24 PM EST
The elected president of the United States Donald Trump assured this Monday that Türkiye has carried out “an unfriendly takeover” of Syria, after rebel groups, some of them supported by Ankara, overthrew the Government of Bashar al Assad.
“I think Türkiye is very intelligent (…) Türkiye carried out an unfriendly takeover, without many lives being lost. I can say that Assad was a butcher“Trump told reporters in Florida.
Assad fled to Russia after a lightning offensive led by the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al Sham (HTS) wrested control of one city after another until the rebels reached the capital, Damascus.
The collapse of his government shocked the world and sparked celebrations in Syria, where the repression of pro-democracy protests in 2011 triggered one of the deadliest wars of the century.
Several countries consider HTS, formerly the Syrian branch of Al Qaeda, a terrorist organizationeven though he has tried to moderate his rhetoric and has committed to protecting the country’s religious minorities.
Türkiye has carried out military strikes in Syria and says it is willing to provide armed support to the new Islamist government established by the rebels.
Ankara’s top priority in Syria was to rid the country of Kurdish separatist fighters.
Keep reading:
• What awaits the Al Assad family after their escape from Syria
• 4 keys to understanding the crisis in Syria that led the rebels to take Damascus and the end of Bashar al Assad’s government
• Netanyahu threatens Lebanon with a “long war”