AA / Istanbul / Gizem Nisa Cebi
The President of the Republic of Turkiye, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, reaffirmed on Friday his country’s commitment to helping Syria in its transition process following the collapse of Bashar Assad’s regime earlier this month.
The Turkish Head of State made statements to journalists on his flight back from Cairo, where he participated in the 11th D-8 summit on Thursday.
He spoke at length about the situation in Syria after the fall of the Baath regime and the flight of Bashar al-Assad.
“We support the Syrian people in managing the transition process smoothly, without any setbacks along the way,” assured the Turkish president.
“Our brothers and sisters in Syria will make their own decisions about their future. We will also try to help them organize their state,” he said.
He thus announced that the Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hakan Fidan, would soon go to Syria to work on the “new administrative structure” to be put in place in the country.
“If Syria establishes a truly stable structure with this new formation, it will occupy, in my opinion, a very strong position in the Islamic world,” he said.
Addressing pressing issues such as energy shortages and security concerns in the neighboring country, Erdogan pledged to quickly resolve Syria’s energy problems and strengthen trade relations with Damascus and Iraq.
“We will intensify our trade relations with Iraq and Syria. This will give new impetus to Syria and Turkiye in all areas,” he explained.
He also defended the lifting of embargoes imposed on Syria.
“The lifting of the embargo and restrictions imposed on Syria due to the Assad regime will be beneficial for the country’s recovery,” he said.
Erdogan also addressed regional security issues, calling for consistency in how Western countries deal with terrorist groups.
“Just as Daesh cannot organize protests in the streets and squares of Western countries, neither should the PKK and its affiliates,” he said.
The Turkish leader also highlighted the decline in the influence of the PKK.
“The lifespan of the PKK and its extensions is over. The security environment that will be ensured in Syria will prevent terrorist organizations from recruiting militants,” he defended.
And added: “We are going to show that it is time to neutralize the terrorist organizations in Syria. We are going to do it to prevent a threat to the south of our borders.”
Erdogan also highlighted at length the discoveries relating to the inhumane actions of the Bashar al-Assad regime, such as the discovery of mass graves and torture tools in the regime’s prisons.
“Saidnaya prison confirms what we have been saying for years. The abuses and executions that took place there highlight the reality of the Baath regime,” he explained.
“Mass graves are also being discovered. Apparently, we have not yet been able to see the full picture of persecution and torture in Syria,” he added.
For the Turkish president, Bashar al-Assad must be tried for his crimes.
“We will do everything possible to ensure that the Assad regime, which persecuted its own people, is held accountable based on international law,” he said.
On broader geopolitical issues, Erdogan urged Western nations, particularly the United States, to take action against Israel’s occupation of Syrian territories.
“It must be declared loud and clear that the Israeli occupation of Syrian territories is unacceptable,” he concluded.
* Traduit par Tuncay Çakmak
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