Turkey should go to Damascus, put a sack over Assad's head if diplomacy fails, Erdoğan's ally says

Duvar English

Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli has said that the Turkish army should head to Damascus, put a sack over Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's head and deal the final blow to the "bloody and filthy regime" if politics and diplomacy fail.

"If politics and diplomacy fail, the Turkish army should go to Damascus in no time, put a sack over the cruel and monstrous Assad's head and deal the final blow to the bloody and filthy regime," Bahçeli told MHP members in the capital Ankara on March 3, as he commented on the recent escalation in Syria's Idlib.

Over 30 Turkish soldiers were killed in a Syrian army attack on Feb. 27, prompting Turkey to launch Operation Spring Shield on March 1.

Bahçeli, who is an ally of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), said that Russia and Syria should not test Turkey's patience any longer.

He also accused Russia of playing a double game in Idlib, while also slamming Iran for going over the back to open fire.

While Iran and Russia back the Syrian government, Turkey backs rebels in the war-ravaged country.

Bahçeli noted that Russia and Iran's presence in Syria is "illegitimate."

Last month, MHP leader's remarks were met with criticism in Moscow, with the Russian Foreign Ministry warning Turkey to refrain from provocative statements on Idlib.

While Russia said that it was not involved in the attack that killed over 30 Turkish soldiers, according to the MHP leader, Russian warplanes were among Syrian army jets during the latter's strike on Turkish troops on Feb. 27.

"Russian jets were among regime jets and they spread death. Who are they [Russia] trying to deceive? What are they talking about? What is [Russian President Vladimir] Putin trying to arrive at?" Bahçeli said, adding that Russia can't be trusted.

He also said that Russia should compensate Ankara for the Feb. 27 attack.

"Russia should review its tyrannical policies," he said, adding that Moscow should support Turkey in forming an 18-21-mile security zone along the Syrian border.

Referring to Erdoğan's planned visit to Moscow on March 5, he said a "compensation and apology" should be put on the agenda.

He went on to say that the Syrian army should immediately retreat from Turkey's observation posts in Idlib without any preconditions, adding that Ankara should jointly control the strategic M-4 and M-5 highways with Russia.

Saying that he is ready to fight for Turkey on the frontlines if necessary, Bahçeli noted that he can "become a martyr" for the country.