Trump urges closer cooperation with Turkey on Syria

The United States and its allies must work more closely with Turkey in Syria, President Donald Trump said on Tuesday in a call with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron.

Washington has previously expressed concern about Turkey's decision to launch a border security mission aimed at clearing the PKK-linked YPG group from Syria's northwestern Afrin region.

While Turkey, the EU and the US consider the PKK to be a terrorist organisation, the US treats the group's Syrian affiliate – the YPG – as an ally against Daesh.

According to the White House, in conversation with Macron, Trump "stressed the need to intensify cooperation with Turkey with respect to shared strategic challenges in Syria."

The Turkish Armed Forces, backed by the Free Syrian Army, has said that their joint Operative Olive Branch, launched in January, also aims to clear Turkey's borders of remaining Daesh pockets still embedded in northern Syria. 

But US officials have repeatedly complained that Turkey's border mission is a distraction from the anti-Daesh fight.

Trump's remarks on Tuesday, however, suggest growing sympathy for Washington's NATO ally.

UK nerve agent attack

In addition to discussing Turkey and Syria, Trump and Macron touched on the allied response to Russia's alleged attempt to assassinate a double-agent in a nerve agent attack on British soil.

"Both leaders expressed support for the West's strong response to Russia's chemical weapons attack in Salisbury, United Kingdom, including the expulsion of numerous Russian intelligence officers on both sides of the Atlantic," the White House said.

This marked Trump's first personal, public comment on the Western response after he allowed his spokeswoman to announce Washington's unprecedented decision to expel 60 alleged Russian agents.