President Donald Trump made a surprise announcement on Thursday, saying that the U.S. would withdraw from Syria in a short time. However, statements coming from the State Department and the Pentagon raised questions on whether his remarks would translate into action.
When asked about Trump's withdrawal statement, the Pentagon decided to refer to the White House, while the State Department's Nauert said she was "not aware of" the decision, declining to comment further.
Previously, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan voiced his skepticism over the Trump administration, questioning whether or not the U.S.' objection to withdrawing the PKK's Syrian affiliate People's Protection Units (YPG) from Manbij was really Trump's own will.
Trump said at an event in Ohio that the U.S. will withdraw its troops from Syria very soon and let other people take care of it.
"We'll be coming out of Syria very soon. Let the other people take care of it now ... We're going to have 100 percent of the caliphate, as they call it, sometimes referred to as land. We're taking it all back."
Trump also slammed U.S. spending in the Middle East, calling it futile and argued that it detracts from domestic spending.
"We spent $7 trillion in the Middle East and you know what we have for it? Nothing," he said.
Trump's comments came amid talks between Turkish and U.S. officials over deciding a roadmap for Manbij, including the withdrawal of the YPG and the return of U.S. weapons provided to the terror group.
Turkish officials said earlier that they expect the U.S. to act in accordance with the common understanding reached by both sides.
