U.S. President Donald Trump came under fire for his decision to pull out of Syria. Critics argue that Washington’s withdrawal marks a rare and clear victory for Russia, and claim that the United States looked like an unreliable ally by “betraying” the People’s Protection Units (YPG), the PKK terrorist organization’s Syrian affiliate. Others warn that Trump’s decision will undermine some of his administration’s key policy objectives, including Iran’s containment and the protection of Israel and Saudi Arabia. Recalling rumors about the reduction of Washington’s military footprint in Afghanistan, they ask whether Iraq is next. Judging by that criticism, it seems that Trump made a misguided strategic decision that will create negative long-term consequences for the Middle East.
I beg to differ. It is true that Trump’s decision represents a significant break with Washington’s Middle East strategy. Yet critics must not rush to the conclusion that the United States has handed the region to Russia and regional powers on a silver platter with a hasty withdrawal. If anything, that decision suggests that Trump is more foresighted than the foreign policy experts criticizing him. After all, pulling out of Syria isn’t just about Washington’s global military presence or the situation in Syria. It reflects a new regional approach that involves reshaping the U.S. policy toward Turkey. In doing so, Trump makes a critical adjustment to the regional balance of power. Recent statements on Halkbank, the sale of Patriot missiles to Turkey and the U.S. withdrawal from northeastern Syria are parts of the same puzzle. A believer in bilateral agreements, Trump could work more closely with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Hence my long-time contention that leader-to-leader diplomacy could take Turkey-U.S. relations to the next level.
Moreover, the Trump administration could counterbalance the Russian and Iranian influences over the Middle East by coordinating Washington’s withdrawal with the Turkish government. Turkey’s support is crucial to that move. Clearly, the Turks will exercise caution and expect to see concrete results on the ground. It will take some time to restore Ankara’s trust in the United States. Although Turkey will be reluctant to turn its back on strong multidimensional relations in return for promises and minor accomplishments. Nonetheless, Trump can block Russian attempts to drive a wedge between the United States and its NATO ally by working with Turkey again. At the very least, the White House can counterbalance Turkey’s deepening defense and military cooperation with the Russians. Again, Turkey was the missing piece in the Trump administration’s plan to contain Iran’s regional influence, which depended excessively on Israel and the Gulf states. The murder of Jamal Khashoggi and Saudi Arabia’s disastrous war in Yemen alone have shown that Riyadh’s ambitious regional policy came with a heavy price tag for Washington.
By playing an important role in the Trump administration’s decision to withdraw from Syria, President Erdoğan has created new opportunities for Turkey in the Middle East.
[Daily Sabah, 23 December 2018]
In this article
- Opinion
- Afghanistan
- CENTCOM
- DAESH
- Daily Sabah
- Donald Trump
- East of the Euphrates
- Fight against DAESH
- gulf
- Hassan Rouhani
- Iranian President
- Iraq
- Islamic Republic of Iran
- Israel
- Kurdistan Workers' Party Terrorist Organization (PKK)
- Middle East
- NATO
- NATO Ally
- Operation Euphrates Shield
- Opposition
- Patriot Missile Long-Range Air-Defence System
- Peace Corridor
- People's Protection Units (YPG)
- PKK - YPG - SDF - PYD - YPJ - SDG - HBDH - HPG - KCK - PJAK - TAK - YBŞ
- Recep Tayyip Erdoğan
- Regional Power
- Riyadh
- Russia
- Safe Zone
- Sanctions
- Saudi Arabia
- Syria
- Syrian Civil War
- Syrian Conflict
- Syrian Crisis
- Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF)
- Syrian National Army (SNA)
- Syrian National Coalition
- Syrian Opposition
- Syrian Refugees
- Terrorism
- Trump Administration
- Trump’s Syria Withdrawal
- Turkish Foreign Policy
- Turkish President
- Turkish-American Relations
- Türkiye-US Relations
- Türkiye-US Security Relations
- Türkiye's Foreign Policy
- Türkiye's Operation Peace Spring
- Türkiye’s Operation Olive Branch
- United States (US)
- US President
- US Withdrawal from Syria
- US-PKK/PYD/YPG/SDF Relations
- US-Terror Relations
- Vladimir Putin
- Yemen
- Yemeni Crisis