Erdogan: Compassion, conscience guides Türkiye’s stance on Syria

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has reaffirmed Türkiye’s commitment to fostering stability and territorial integrity in Syria, stressing that Ankara's stance towards the conflict-torn country has never been driven by self-interest, but by compassion and conscience.

"The Turkish nation will forever carry the honour of embracing the oppressed Syrians in their dark days," Erdogan said following the Presidential Cabinet meeting on Monday, a day after the Bashar al Assad regime in Syria collapsed.

"Our sensitivity regarding Syria has never been based on self-interest. We have always looked at this issue from the perspective of conscience, always approached it with a sense of compassion," he added.

Erdogan highlighted Ankara's consistent appeals for dialogue to resolve the Syrian conflict, which Assad failed to heed. "The value of the hand extended by our country has not been recognised," the Turkish president said.

The price of Assad's negligence and unwillingness to address the needs of his people is a Syria where nearly 1 million people were massacred, 12 million people were forced to migrate, and many cities were turned into rubble, he added, pointing to the regime’s destructive legacy.

"We believe the strong winds of change sweeping across Syria will bring positive outcomes for the Syrian people, especially for the refugees," he added.

As stability returns to the war-torn country, Ankara anticipates more voluntary, safe, and dignified refugee returns. To facilitate crossings, Türkiye is reopening the Yayladagi Border Gate.

Counterterrorism efforts to continue

Speaking on Monday, Erdogan also welcomed the liberation of Tal Rifaat and Manbij, which have been under the occupation of the separatist PKK/YPG terrorist organisation for years.

He reaffirmed Ankara’s steadfast commitment to counterterrorism, underlining that Türkiye has no designs on any other nation’s territory. "The sole purpose of our cross-border operations is to protect our homeland and our citizens from terrorist attacks," he said.

Erdogan further stressed that Türkiye will not tolerate the emergence of new sources of terrorism beyond its borders, adding: "Neither the PKK and its extensions in Syria nor DAESH are our country's interlocutors; they are our adversaries."

"The territorial integrity of Syria must be preserved."

Türkiye, Erdogan said, is shaping history through its peaceful and active policies that are transforming the region and securing a brighter future for humanity.

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