Donald Trump to Visit Turkey in 2019 Upon Erdogan’s Invitation: Official

Trump announced last week a surprise decision to withdraw troops from Syria, where US has backed the Syrian Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) militia against Islamic State (IS).

Ankara: US President Donald Trump has agreed to visit Turkey in 2019, Turkey’s presidential spokesperson Ibrahim Kalin announced on Monday.

Speaking at a press conference after a cabinet meeting in capital Ankara, Kalin said Trump accepted the invitation by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during a weekend phone call between the two leaders, but without giving exact date of visit.

The presidential spokesperson also said a US military delegation was expected to arrive in Turkey this week to discuss coordination for US pullout from Syria, Xinhua news agency reported.

Turkey will also closely coordinate with Russia to avoid a possible power vacuum in Syria after US withdrawal, including in the area east of Euphrates, he added.

Kalin stressed Turkey is determined to continue its fight against terrorism, saying “our troops will continue to stay in Syria’s Idlib to assure regional security and stability.”

Trump announced last week a surprise decision to withdraw troops from Syria, where US has backed the Syrian Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) militia against Islamic State (IS).