Erdogan in Moscow to discuss US withdrawal from Syria with Vladimir Putin
Today, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow to discuss bilateral co-operation on issues that include the Syrian settlement process.
The unexpected announcement of the withdrawal of 2,200 US troops from northern Syria is an incentive for Erdogan to strengthen ties with the Kremlin. Despite a recent tour showcasing Washington’s commitment to the Middle East, the absence of troops reduces US leverage in Syria.
Ankara fears that Syria’s Kurds will take advantage of the withdrawal to build their autonomy along the Syrian-Turkish border, a sentiment reinforced by the Kurdish fortification of Manbij, a Syrian border town. Erdogan, focused on ousting the Kurds from the area, has already declared his intention to engage them militarily, much to the chagrin of the US.
Putin has insisted that Syrian troops affiliated with Russia replace the Kurds in Manbij as a means to reassure Turkey of its security. With the US becoming a less reliable partner in the theatre, expect Ankara to work more closely with Moscow to realise its security aims vis-à-vis the Kurds along its border with Syria.
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