ANKARA, Jan. 7 -- The U.S. withdrawal from Syria must be planned carefully and performed in cooperation with the right partners to protect itself, the international community and Syrian people, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said late Monday.
In an op-ed published by the New York Times, Erdogan said that his country is the only one "with the power and commitment to perform that task."
Regarding the efforts to completely defeat the Islamic State (IS), Erdogan said that Turkey expects international support in its bid to eliminate the group.
He also stressed that Turkey is "the sole stakeholder that can work simultaneously with the United States and Russia."
"Turkey is volunteering to shoulder this heavy burden at a critical time in history. We are counting on the international community to stand with us," Erdogan added.
Last month, the U.S. President Donald Trump declared victory over the IS and announced that U.S. forces would be "coming home soon," sparking concern among officials in Washington and allies abroad.