Syria will be like 'Iraq on steroids' if US troops withdraw: Senator Lindsey Graham

United States Senator Lindsey Graham on Saturday said he hoped that US will not withdraw from Syria until it formulates a proper plan, otherwise, it would lead to complete chaos in the Middle East, which will be then be similar to an 'Iraq on steroids'.

The US lawmaker further stated that the Donald Trump government would not initiate a complete withdrawal of troops until the Islamic State (ISIS) is entirely destroyed, Voice of America reported.

Addressing a meeting here Saturday, Graham said, "The goal of destroying ISIS is not yet accomplished."

The US Senator flew to Turkey on Friday to hold talks with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, apart from the country's defence and foreign ministers and intelligence chief, to discuss the process of US troop's withdrawal and ensure the safety of Syrian Kurds in the region after its withdrawal.

"I have long contended that there are elements among the Syrian Kurds that represent a legitimate national security threat to Turkey. Turkey's concern regarding YPG (PKK's Syrian affiliate, the People's Protection Units) elements must be addressed in a real way to ensure that Turkey's borders are secure and are protected from any threats," the US lawmaker said.

Turkey on Friday said that it would not step back until it drives out the terrorists from Syria and 'until justice is served' to the Turkish people who have 'suffered more than their fair share' due to the terrorist attacks planned in Syria.

Recently, Turkish President Erdogan lashed out at Washington following its demands that the Syrian Kurds should not be attacked after the US withdraws its troops from Syria.

Turkey's Anadolu news agency reported that the country will soon launch a counter-terrorist operation, targeting the US-back Kurdish forces in northern Syria, including the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), and YPG.