ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — US President Donald Trump and counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke late Wednesday night about Syria amid US threats for unilateral action in the war-torn country and UN inaction.
The presidents "exchanged views on the latest developments in Syria," Turkey's Anadolu Agency reported according to its presidential source.
The call came as Trump has warned Moscow to "get ready" for a missile attack in Syria because Washington is prepared to use smart missiles against the Russian-backed "gas killing animal" Bashar al-Assad's regime.
"President Donald J. Trump spoke today with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey to discuss the current crisis in Syria. The two leaders agreed to stay in close contact about the situation," a brief White House statement confirmed.
The UN Security Council is set to meet on Thursday, as some members are concerned about unilateral military action in a country that has seen nearly eight years of civil war, alleged chemical attacks, massive displacement, and UN and Russian ceasefires not holding.
Ankara and Washington are strategic NATO allies. The Syrian conflict was complicated by the rise of ISIS in 2014. The United States and Turkey supported different anti-ISIS forces on the ground.
The US and Turkish foreign policy now aligns, with both wanting regime change in Syria. Trump ended President Barack Obama's covert program aimed to topple Assad in 2017. US policy is for the country to hold free and UN-monitored elections.
Russia and Iran are the Assad regime's primary backers. The presidents of the two countries met with Erdogan in a summit in Ankara earlier this month.
