Trump talks of Syrian crisis for the first time: 'Don't know why Russia went there...'

US President-elect Donald Trump said on Monday that Turkey will hold the key to what happens in Syria, where rebels toppled the government of Bashar al-Assad earlier this month. Turkey, a NATO member, backed the rebels whose assumption of power in Damascus ended Syria's 13-year civil war. Turkey reopened its embassy in Damascus on Saturday, two days after its intelligence chief visited the Syrian capital. US President-elect Donald Trump described the recent ousting of Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad by Ankara-backed rebels as an "unfriendly takeover" orchestrated by Turkey. Speaking at a press conference at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida on Monday, Trump characterised Turkey's actions as "very smart" while emphasizing the brutality of Assad's regime.

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