Trump praises Türkiye: Assad's removal was a clever move!

Trump praises Türkiye: Assad's removal was a clever move!

Donald Trump talks about the dramatic developments in Syria and the role of Türkiye!

The newly elected US President Donald Trump described the removal of the Syrian ruler Bashar al-Assad as an "unfriendly takeover" by Turkey! In a gripping press conference on Monday in his luxurious Mar-A-Lago in Florida, Trump gave an insight into his upcoming foreign policy plans, while he was preparing for his second taking office on January 20th.

"I think Turkey is very smart. ... Turkey has carried out an unfriendly takeover without many lost lives. Assad was a butcher what he did to children," said Trump and praised the Turkish government. These comments came after the surprising fall of the long-time Syrian leader on December 8, which was made possible by a lightning-fast offensive of rebels, led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS).

The role of Türkiye in the Syrian conflict

Turkey, under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has decidedly positioned itself against the rule of al-Assad and supports the Syrian National Army (SNA), which operates in northwestern Syria. Despite the support for the rebels, it remains unclear to what extent Ankara supports groups and HTS. Trump emphasized that Turkey could be the key to the future of Syria while the country has been in war since 2011.

Trump also commented on the developments in the Gaza Strip and reported on a "very good conversation" with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The two discussed the efforts of freeing hostages that are recorded in Gaza before Trump's taking office. Trump warned: "If these hostages do not come home by this date, hell will break down."

A look at Ukraine and Tikok

In terms of the Ukraine conflict, Trump rejected questions about discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin, but announced that he wanted to speak to both Putin and Ukrainian President Wolodymyr Selenskyj. "We have to end it. It is a slaughter," said Trump, describing the destruction of the cities as "rubble". He compared the destruction with the demolition of a building in Manhattan, which underlines the drama of the situation.

In addition, Trump spoke about the impending state blocking of the popular social media platform TIKTOK, which is used by many young people. He explained that he would check the upcoming blocking and added: "I have a warm place in my heart for Tiktok."

On the home front, Trump commented on reports on drone sightings in the east of the United States and demanded more transparency from the government. "The government knows what happens. For some reason, they don't want to comment," he said and demanded more clarity.

In another controversial topic, Trump defended his election for the Minister of Health, the prominent vaccination critic Robert F. Kennedy Jr.