Following unexpected and dramatic full and "immediate" withdrawal of all U.S. forces from Syria, turkey has announced it will not play ball on Iran sanctions.
. According to a translation of the turkish
president's words on thursday during a previously planned summit with
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani in Ankara, journalist Abdullah Bozkurt
reports, "turkish president Erdogan says turkey won't support U.S.
sanctions on Iran which he claims puts regional security and stability at
risk, vows to take all measures to minimize impact of sanctions on trade
between the two countries, pledges support to Iran in difficult times."
This is huge given that the complete U.S.
reversal in policy comes following a phone call last week between President trump
and turkish President Recep tayyip Erdogan, wherein Erdogan is reported to
have pressed the Kurdish problem and presence of U.S. troops. the United States
needs turkey as a key regional economy if it hopes to effectively strangle
Iran through sanctions. Without Erdogan, analysts believe, Iran will be
able to weather the storm long term.