Erdoğan: ‘We are in close dialogue with Syrian revolution leader Al-Sharaa’

Duvar English

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, on Dec. 23, reiterated his positive remarks regarding the new Syrian administration following a cabinet meeting focused on the latest developments in Syria.

The Turkish government has been voicing support towards the Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and Ahmed al-Sharaa (also known as Abu Mohammed al-Golani), which took control in Syria after Assad's fall.

Erdoğan said, "We proudly follow the names involved in the new administration. We thank God when we see those who have been educated in Turkey and share a bond with our people in positions of power. We are in close dialogue with Syrian revolution leader Al-Sharaa."

For instance, Asaad Hassan al-Shaybani who became Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Minister in the Syrian Transitional Government received his Ph.D. from Istanbul Sabahattin Zaim University.

The president also emphasized that Turkey's unwavering stance has been the preservation of Syria's territorial integrity and its unitary structure, adding that the Turkish government would work to ensure that the "extensions" of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) have no place in Syria's future.

Turkey regards the Northern Syria’s People's Defense Units (YPG) as an extension of the PKK who have been fighting an insurgency against the Turkish state for 40 years.

Turkish backed rebels have been fighting against YPG in Syria as well and captured Manbij, a key city, during their recent advancements

Erdoğan also noted that “surgical strikes” against the PKK in Syria would continue and that he “welcomed” the new Syrian government's determination in this regard.

"From the very beginning of the Syrian crisis, Turkey has always stood on the right side of history," the Turkish president underscored.

Erdoğan, regarding Israel's expanding occupation in Syria, stated, "It is clear that Israel's increasing aggression aims to overshadow the Syrian revolution and suppress the hopes of the Syrian people. While Israel may engage in opportunism, sooner or later, it will be forced to withdraw from the territories it has occupied."