US pullout from Syria and the area east of the Euphrates River, where Turkey has promised a counter-terrorist operation, topped the agenda in Ankara during the second bilateral Turkish-US group meeting
Meeting of Turkey-US Joint Working Group, tasked to coordinate US troop withdrawal from Syria, continues for second day
The US currently has more than 2,000 troops deployed in Syria, but announced last December that they were leaving, revised this week to say some 200-400 would stay. In its more than 30-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK, listed as a terrorist organisation by Turkey, the US and the EU, has been responsible for the death of some 40,000 people.
Turkey also does not want former US bases to fall into the hands of the terrorists after its withdrawal, saying they should either be destroyed or handed over to Turkey. Joseph Votel, head of the US Central Command , said on February 11 that the pullout is likely to begin within weeks and that he expects no increase in US troops in Iraq.
A Turkish official, speaking anonymously due to restrictions on talking to the media, pointed out that Turkey is still a member of the US-led coalition to fight Daesh.
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