‘We're delighted whenever we see free Syrian flag alongside our own crescent and star flag in Aleppo, Damascus, Hama, Homs, Daraa, and Manbij,' says Recep Tayyip Erdogan
Türkiye's sole aim is to ensure peace, tranquility, and stability throughout its region, starting with Syria, the Turkish president said on Wednesday.Speaking at a meeting of the country's Justice and Development (AK) Party, Recep Tayyip Erdogan said: “We're delighted whenever we see the free Syrian flag alongside our own crescent and star flag in (the Syrian cities of) Aleppo, Damascus, Hama, Homs, Daraa, and Manbij.”
“After 61 years of oppression, the Baath regime has been overthrown, and the coward (Bashar) Assad, true to his nature, fled Syria, even betraying those closest to him,” Erdogan said, referring to the deposed regime leader.
“With Syrian revolutionaries gaining control in Damascus, a new chapter has opened for this country.”
During the fast-paced operation offensive against the regime earlier this month, “Türkiye did necessary interventions to prevent further bloodshed and the conflict from spreading elsewhere,” he said.
Erdogan called “the triumph of a 13-year uprising in 12 days,” by itself, “a magnificent success.”
“The Syrian people have freed their country from the clutches of a massacre network,” he said, adding: “Syrians, with all their ethnic, sectarian, and religious groups, have entered a path where they will determine their future themselves.”
“For this, we feel great joy on behalf of our brothers and sisters," he said.
According to UN reports, the total cost of Assad's oppression, destruction, and the war in Syria is near $500 billion, he said, stressing that without international support, war-weary Syria cannot bear such a burden alone.
Erdogan called on the Arab and Islamic world to “lead the reconstruction of Syria, setting an example for other countries.”
“Just as we did not abandon our Syrian sisters and brothers for 13 years, we will continue to stand by them with all our capacity," he underlined.
Türkiye will soon open its consulate general in Aleppo, he said, following the reopening of its embassy in the capital Damascus earlier this month.
Assad, Syria's leader for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia after anti-regime groups took control of Damascus on Dec. 8, ending the Baath Party's regime, which had been in power since 1963.
The takeover came after Hayat Tahrir al-Sham fighters captured key cities in a lightning offensive that lasted less than two weeks.
- ‘We will eliminate' terrorist PKK
Turning to terrorist threats, Erdogan said, “We will eliminate the terrorist organization (PKK) as it tries to build a wall of blood between us and our Kurdish sisters and brothers,” referring to a terrorist group, present in both Syria and Iraq, near the Turkish border.
“We will achieve our goal of a terror-free Türkiye in the coming days by using all tools at our state's disposal," he said.
In its 40-year terror campaign against Türkiye, the PKK – listed as a terrorist organization by Türkiye, the US, and EU – has been responsible for the deaths of over 40,000 people, including women, children, infants and the elderly. The YPG is PKK's Syrian offshoot.
The terrorist PKK/YPG has sought to exploit the post-Assad uncertainty to step up efforts to establish a “terrorist corridor” along the border with Türkiye.
