Trump calls Turkish President Erdogan 'friend,' says he respects him

WASHINGTON

US President-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday referred to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as a "friend" whom he respects.

He made the remarks during a press conference at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida when asked about the potential withdrawal of US troops from Syria once he takes office later this month.

"I won't tell you that, because that's part of a military strategy, but I will say it was Turkey," Trump said. "President Erdogan is a friend of mine. He's a guy I like, respect. I think he respects me also."

“But if you look at what happened with Syria, Russia was weakened, Iran was weakened. And he's a very smart guy, and he sent his people in there through different forms and different names, and they went in and they took over,” Trump added.

The US has nearly 2,000 troops stationed in Syria.