US has not supported Turkey in Syria’s Idlib says Erdogan: Report
February 26, 2020, 10:48 am

US has not supported Turkey in Syria’s Idlib says Erdogan: Report

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks during a meeting in Ankara on Feb. 10, 2020. (AP)

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the US had not yet provided support to Turkey in Syria’s Idlib region and that he would need to speak to US President Donald Trump about the issue again, broadcaster CNN Turk reported on Wednesday.

Speaking to reporters on his return flight from Azerbaijan, Erdogan said that he was told Washington did not have any Patriot defense systems to give Turkey for now.

Erdogan said his proposed summit with the leaders of Germany, Russia, and France next week was “uncertain,” but that he would likely meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Istanbul on March 5 to discuss Idlib.

source: Reuters

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Upon arriving to participate in the summit of the European Political Community, which includes around forty heads of state in Budapest, he said, "I look forward to sitting with the elected U.S. president and seeing how we will collectively ensure we meet challenges, including the threats from Russia and North Korea." He also noted that the strengthening of ties between Russia and North Korea poses a threat to the United States as well, according to reports from Agence France-Presse.

Before Trump's victory, Rutte expressed confidence that a united Washington would remain part of the defensive alliance, even if Trump became the 47th president of the United States. In an interview with German public broadcaster ZDF last Monday night, he stated that both Republicans and Democrats understand that NATO serves not only the security of Europe but also that of America. He added that both candidates are aware that the security of the United States is closely tied to NATO.

On Wednesday, NATO congratulated Trump on his victory but did not address the Ukrainian issue.

It is noteworthy that the relationship between the elected U.S. president and the defense alliance was not the best during his first term in the White House. Trump criticized NATO member states multiple times and even hinted at withdrawing from the alliance unless they increased their financial contributions.

Additionally, the issue of the Russian-Ukrainian war is one of the matters that complicate relations between the two sides, especially since Trump has repeatedly stated that he can end this ongoing conflict, which began in 2022, quickly. He implied that he had a peace plan between Kyiv and Moscow, while his vice president, JD Vance, revealed aspects of that plan, which stipulated Ukraine's commitment not to join NATO, thereby sending reassuring signals to the Russians.

Furthermore, many NATO member states in Europe fear that Trump might halt military aid to Ukraine after he previously criticized the U.S. for pouring funds into supporting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.