In shift, Tillerson says Assad’s status up to Syrian people

Times of Israel ^ | 30 March 2017

[Lorianne]

US secretary of state highlights cooperation with Turkey, but his Turkish counterpart notes deep divide over Kurdish fighters ___ ANKARA, Turkey — US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said on Thursday that the fate of Syrian President Bashar Assad was up to the war-ravaged country’s people.

Speaking after talks in Ankara, he added there was “no space” between Turkey and the US over fighting the so-called Islamic State group — even as his Turkish counterpart reiterated a key point of discord.

“I think the .. longer term status of President Assad will be decided by the Syrian people,” Tillerson told a joint news conference with Melvut Cavusoglu in Ankara.

Under Barack Obama’s administration, the US made the departure of Assad a key policy aim, but new US President Donald Trump has put the accent firmly on defeating IS. Ties between Ankara and Washington were strained under Obama particularly over US cooperation with Syrian Kurdish militia fighting against the Islamic State group.

Ankara views the Syrian Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) as a “terror group” linked to Kurdish separatists waging an insurgency inside Turkey since 1984, but Washington regards them as the best force fighting the IS.

Turkey has suggested it wants to join any operation to capture the IS bastion of Raqqa but without involvement of Kurdish militia.

[Lorianne]

That's great, but why not leave all the decisions up to the Syrian people, like whether or not they want ISIS in their country, or Kurds, or anyone else?

Also, why do we have to be involved and babysitting between Turkey and the Kurds?

[bkopto]

The warmonger John McCain will be very unhappy at this news.

[ZULU]

The Syrian people should decide their fate, not outsiders.
The Kurds, like the Armenians, are entitled to their own country, free of thugs like the Turkish government.

[Capt. Tom]

From day one I have felt it would be a mistake to remove the Alawite Assad because the Sunnis like al Qaeda and ISIS would try to take over, and also the Iranian Shiite Muslims would try to take over.

The Alawite Assad protected minorities like Christians, and if Assad went, the Sunnis or Shiites would do them in. -Tom

[butlerweave]

The Syrian people should also decide on what to do with Obama/Hillary and McCain ,the people that started the War

[Sacajaweau]

Assad just blasted the US for being there in the first place. We are NOT an ally. On the otherd, Russia has been an Syria's ally for 50 years.

The Kurds were always the good guys in Iraq...but they had no oil. Turkey screwed us during the Gulf War. Friend or foe? Who knows. Erdogen is a nut.