Erdogan, Trump discuss Syria, economic ties over phone

By Ahmet Salih Alacaci

ANKARA (AA) – Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and U.S. President Donald Trump discussed Washington’s planned troop withdrawal from Syria in a phone call late Thursday.

The two leaders also reiterated their countries’ determination to fight all forms of terrorism, according to Turkish presidential sources.

They agreed that the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Syria should be carried out in line with common interests, stressing the need to support the political process in the war-torn country.

They also agreed to further enhance economic relations, setting a goal of $75 billion for trade between the two countries.

Syria has only just begun to emerge from a devastating conflict that began in early 2011 when the Bashar al-Assad regime cracked down on demonstrators with unexpected ferocity.

In December, Trump made a surprise announcement that the U.S. would be withdrawing all of its troops from Syria and said Daesh had been defeated in the country.