Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that ISIL terror group had been defeated in Syria, “militarily speaking”.

In an extensive article penned for The New York Times Erdogan said that his American counterpart, Donald, Trump, had “made the right call” to pull out US troops from Syria.

But he noted that the withdrawal must be planned “carefully” and carried out in close cooperation with “the right partners to protect the interests of the United States, the international community and the Syrian people”.

According to the Turkish president, Turkey is “the only country with the power and commitment to perform that task”.

Erdogan said Ankara’s military operations against ISIL prevented terrorists from attacking Turkey and Europe.

He further wrote that “unlike coalition operations in Raqqa and Mosul, which relied heavily on airstrikes that were carried out with little or no regard for civilian casualties”, Turkish troops’ approach guaranteed that Al Bab’s infrastructure remained “largely intact” and that it was possible for people to return to normal life within days.

“This stable environment is the only cure for terrorism. […] There will be no victory for the terrorists. Turkey will continue to do what it must to ensure its own safety and the well-being of the international community”, Erdogan wrote.

Source: Sputnik