President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said Türkiye is “very closely” watching the recent developments in Syria, which happened in a flash over the course of a few days, as he said the country was taking all necessary precautions in this regard.
Erdoğan was speaking at a joint news conference with his Montenegrin counterpart Jakov Milatovic, who arrived in Ankara earlier on Monday.
He noted that Ankara hopes for the protection of Syria’s territorial integrity and putting an end to instability in Syria based on the legitimate demands of the Syrian people, based on an agreement.
Erdoğan reiterated Türkiye’s determination to ensure regional stability and peace, saying that Ankara was ready to do whatever was necessary to “extinguish the fire” in the region.
“Under the scope of our country’s national security interests, we’re following the process on the ground with every moment and taking all necessary precautions to ensure different incidents do not take place,” he said.
After attending an official ceremony, the two leaders held bilateral and delegation-level meetings.
Although it firmly opposed the Assad regime’s violent suppression of the opposition protests more than a decade ago and severed ties, Ankara supports the territorial integrity of the country. Türkiye faced a massive flow of refugees from its southern neighbor as the conflict escalated in 2011 and found itself as the target of a budding terrorist group: the YPG or the Syrian wing of the PKK, which claimed thousands of lives in Türkiye in terrorist attacks since the 1980s. The YPG controls parts of northeastern Syria.
Turkish officials repeatedly said Ankara prioritizes stability and calm in Syria.
Ankara backs the Syrian opposition forces that captured Tal Rifaat from PKK/YPG while Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, which led the advance to Aleppo is recognized as a terrorist group.
Iran steadfastly supported the Assad regime, particularly militarily, since the unrest began, though Israel’s escalating aggression in the region reached as far as areas in Syria where pro-Iranian elements are located.