What’s Turkish aims behind the U.S. troop withdrawal?
CGTN
Last week, the U.S. President Donald Trump announced his decision to reduce American troops in Syria, most of that are based in the north of the country.
Almost immediately, Turkey began airstrikes and artillery bombardments in the area, ostensibly against who they claimed are terrorist groups. In fact, Turkey's aim is to curb the power of the Kurds who live there and hold de facto power over the area, having wrested it from the central authorities during the eight-year civil war in Syria.
Trump's decision sparked widespread critics across the American political class. He was accused of abandoning the Kurds, who as American allies, had borne the brunt of the fight against Islamic State, the extremist group which swept across eastern Syria and western Iraq five years ago. In his defense, Trump claimed that the Islamic State had been militarily defeated and the American public was tired of fighting foreign wars, including in Afghanistan and Iraq; it was time to bring their troops home.
