Trump, Erdogan discuss ISIS fight, situation in Syria in phone call

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - US President Donald Trump spoke by phone with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan, with discussions focusing on the fight against Islamic State (ISIS), regional and global developments, said Turkish presidency on Wednesday.

According to a statement from Erdogan’s office, the two leaders discussed “the fight against DAESH [ISIS] and the situation of DAESH members in prisons in Syria.”

"President Erdoğan stated that Türkiye [Turkey] closely follows developments in Syria and that Syria’s unity, solidarity, and territorial integrity are important for Türkiye," the statement added, stressing that “a developed, terror-free, and peaceful Syria, with all its elements, would also contribute to regional stability.”

Ahead of the call, President Trump told reporters after a White House briefing, “I have a very important call with President Erdogan, who I like a lot.”

The call comes hours after the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) on Tuesday announced they have withdrawn from the notorious al-Hol camp in Hasaka, which houses families and affiliates of ISIS members, following reports they were engaging in "fierce clashes" with Damascus-affiliated armed groups in its vicinity.

Shortly afterward, the Syrian defense ministry declared its “complete readiness to take control of al-Hol camp and ISIS prisons” in areas held by the SDF. It also urged the Kurdish-led forces to uphold the 14-point agreement reached on January 18, adding that “our forces will not enter Kurdish towns and villages.”

The development comes amid continued military escalation by the Syrian army and affiliated armed groups against Kurdish forces in northeast Syria (Rojava). It also follows an announcement by the SDF on Monday that it had lost control of al-Shaddadi prison to armed groups in Hasaka province, noting that the facility holds “thousands of ISIS militants.”

SDF spokesperson Farhad Shami told Rudaw early Tuesday that around "1,500 ISIS militants - including both foreign and Syrian nationals - have been released" by Damascus-affiliated armed groups from al-Shaddadi prison, in southern Hasaka as well.

Gaza was another topic discussed in the phone call. Emphasizing that “efforts to establish peace in Gaza are ongoing,” Erdogan noted that Turkey “will continue to act in coordination with the U.S. on this matter.”