Turkish FM rejects Trump claim of Ankara 'takeover' in Syria

Istanbul – Turkey on Wednesday rejected US President-elect Donald Trump's claim that the rebel ouster of Syrian strongman Bashar al-Assad was an "unfriendly takeover" by Ankara.

"We wouldn't call it a takeover, because it would be a grave mistake to present what's been happening in Syria" in those terms, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan told broadcaster Al Jazeera in an interview.

"For Syrian people, it is not a takeover. I think if there is any takeover, it's the will of the Syrian people which is taking over now."

On Monday, Trump said: "The people that went in (to Syria) are controlled by Turkey and that's ok."

"Turkey did an unfriendly takeover, without a lot of lives being lost," the billionaire businessman told reporters.

Since the early days of the anti-Assad revolt that erupted in 2011, Turkey has been seen as a key backer of the opposition to his rule.

It has hosted political dissenters as well as millions of refugees and also backed rebel groups fighting the army.