US President Donald Trump has said that Turkey will play an essential role in determining the future of Syria, stressing that Turkey will "hold the key to the events of Syria" given the recent successes of the armed opposition against the government of Bashar al-Assad.
Trump praised Turkey's military potential, noting that its army was "not worn out by war." During a press conference in Palm Beach, he added, "Turkey supported the rebels and carried out a change of power without great loss of life."
The president also emphasized the role of Turkish President Recep Erdogan: "Erdogan is the person with whom I communicated very well... He created a powerful, powerful army."
Alluding to the history of the Ottoman Empire, Trump concluded, "They dreamed of this territory for thousands of years, and now they got it."
