Trump calls Assad’s ouster in Syria ‘unfriendly takeover’ by Türkiye

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump praised Türkiye as “very smart” and highlighted his strong personal relationship with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, calling him a “very tough” leader with a powerful military force.

Speaking at a press conference Monday at his Mar-a-Lago estate, Trump emphasized Türkiye’s growing influence in the region.

“I think Turkey is very smart… Turkey did an unfriendly takeover, without a lot of lives being lost. I can say that Assad was a butcher, what he did to children,” Trump told reporters at his residence in Florida.

“Turkey is a major force, by the way, and Erdogan is somebody I got along with great but he has a major military force. And his has not been worn out with war,” Trump added. “He’s built a very strong, powerful army.”

Türkiye will play pivotal role in Syria, says Trump

Trump also reflected on the ongoing situation in Syria, stating that he believes Türkiye will play a pivotal role in the country’s future. “Turkey is going to hold the key to Syria,” he said. “Actually, I don’t think you’ve heard that from anybody else, but I’ve been pretty good at predicting.”

When asked about withdrawing U.S. troops from northeastern Syria, Trump did not give a direct answer but reiterated his admiration for Erdogan, describing him as “a very smart guy.”

Trump also referred to the ousted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad as “a butcher” for his actions against children, praising Türkiye’s involvement in Syria, which he described as an “unfriendly takeover” with minimal loss of life.

‘Assad was a butcher’

While criticizing Assad’s actions, particularly against children, Trump added, “I can say that Assad was a butcher, what he did to children,” before praising Türkiye’s role in the situation.

Assad, who ruled Syria with an iron fist for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia on Dec. 8 after Syrian opposition groups seized control of Damascus.

The takeover came after Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) fighters captured key cities across the country in a lightning offensive that lasted less than two weeks.

Meanwhile, U.S. has long partnered with the PKK/YPG terrror group-led SDF in the fight against Daesh, but this partnership has strained relations with Türkiye, which considers the YPG, the SDF’s main component, a terrorist group. Following Assad’s fall, there have been ongoing clashes between the SDF and the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army.