The U.S. is in confusion regarding its planned withdrawal from Syria, Presidential Spokesperson İbrahim Kalın said Thursday.
Speaking after a cabinet meeting, Kalın said the U.S., while having trouble making up its mind over leaving the war-torn country, continues to back the PKK's Syrian affiliate, the People's Protection Units (YPG).
President Donald Trump announced last December that the U.S. would withdraw its troops from Syria, noting that the only reason U.S. troops were in Syria was to defeat Daesh, which he said was accomplished. He later added that "local countries," including Turkey, should "take care" of the situation and deal with the remaining terrorist threats.
Trump's sudden decision prompted critics to suggest Daesh continues to be a threat and it would be a betrayal of the U.S. ally on the ground, the YPG, which Turkey sees as a national security threat.
The U.S. currently has more than 2,000 troops in Syria but announced last December that it would withdraw entirely from the country. It backtracked from the decision and said last week that some 200-400 of its troops would remain in Syria.
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