Turkey baffled by Trump’s pledge to exit Syria as Macron vows to step in

Source:al Monitor Date:04Apr2018

Ankara’s enthusiasm, however, was dampened with reports from Paris that a group from the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) had been received at the Elysee Palace in Paris.
The fact that this meeting took place after a phone conversation between Trump and Macron on March 27 and also a day after Trump’s remarks regarding a withdrawal from Syria inevitably resulted in various conspiracy theories in Turkey. Many see a link between these developments and believe a secret agreement may have been reached behind Turkey’s back between Washington and Paris regarding Syria.

To further complicate the situation, ” Vehicles of the U.S.-led coalition drive in the northern Syrian town of Manbij, on April 3. U.S. troops and allied Kurdish-led fighters have reportedly dug trenches and increased ground and sky patrols amid Turkish threats, even as President Donald Trump promised a U.S. withdrawal from the war-torn country”, reports Newsweek.