Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 22
By Rufiz Hafizoglu - Trend:
The statement of the Minister of Defense of Turkey Hulusi Akar that "the trenches dug by terrorists in Syria will become their graves" led to the resignation of the US Secretary of Defense James Mattis, say the Turkish media, Trend reports.
Mattis regarded the statement as an insult to the US, who considers PYD/YPG, the so-called Syrian Democratic Force, as its main ally in Syria, the reports said.
After Akar's statement, Mattis could not convince US President Donald Trump not to withdraw the US troops from Syria, the reports read.
Trump wrote about Mattis's resignation, which is scheduled for the end of February 2019, in a tweet on Dec. 20.
Mattis, in his letter of resignation, stressed that he had decided to leave his position due to opinion differences with the president.
On Dec. 19, US President Donald Trump declared victory over the "Islamic State" (IS) in Syria. Later, the White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said the US had begun to withdraw troops from Syria, but a victory over the IS does not mean the end of the coalition.
Reuters, citing sources, reported that all US State Department employees would be evacuated from Syria within 24 hours and the armed forces would be withdrawn within 60 to 100 days.
---
Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu