“The era of terrorism in our region is over once and for all”
Delivering remarks following the Presidential Cabinet Meeting, President Erdoğan said: “Syria’s fertile lands have had enough of suffering, bloodshed, and tears. What must be done from now on is clear. Foot-dragging, stalling or hiding behind excuses will not help anyone. The era of terrorism in our region is over once and for all. The requirements of the ceasefire and full integration agreement must be implemented swiftly, and all must avoid yet another miscalculation.”
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan held a press conference following the Presidential Cabinet Meeting at the Presidential Complex.
“THE SOLUTION TO ALL PROBLEMS IS THE NEGOTIATING TABLE”
“Our neighbor Iran, following Israel’s attacks, is now faced with a new social challenge that targets its social peace and stability. We are all following the schemes sought to be conspired through streets. We believe our Iranian brothers and sisters will inshallah overcome this period filled with traps through a subtle diplomacy that prioritizes dialogue and diplomacy. With our foreign policy centered on peace and stability, we will continue to oppose all initiatives that might drag our region into uncertainties. As Türkiye, we have displayed a principled stance on this issue since the very beginning. We maintain this stance of ours today as well. In our view, the solution to all problems is the negotiating table built upon a relationship of mutual trust. Inviting all parties to common sense, dialogue and diplomacy, we would like to stress that we stand ready to do whatever it takes to further ease the tension,” President Erdoğan said.
“We take a close interest in every development that transpires in Syria, with which we have a shared history, a shared culture, a shared civilization of 1400 years, and shared martyrs,” President Erdoğan stated: “We are exerting intense efforts to make sure that the environment of freedom our neighbor Syria gained with the December 8 revolution turns into a lasting peace and stability. We believe that a united and indivisible Syria, with its territorial integrity, is indispensable for the prosperity of our entire region. Never forget that 'Syria belongs to the Syrians'. Syria belongs to all its people—no matter if they are Arab, Turkmen, Kurdish, Alawite, Sunni, or Druze; it belongs to the Syrian people in all its segments. It is a fact that after 13.5 years of oppression that claimed the lives of hundreds of thousands, Syria has now seized a historic opportunity. With Allah's permission, the path, horizon, and future of our Syrian brothers and sisters would be bright. As a brotherly nation, neighbour, and true friend to the Syrian people, we will not allow any attempt to sabotage this. The principle of ‘one state, one army’ is a sine qua non for Syria’s stability. Türkiye fully supports any action aimed at establishing and consolidating this.”
“TÜRKİYE WILL ALWAYS STAND BY SYRIA IN ITS FIGHT AGAINST TERRORISM”
President Erdoğan went on: “The military operation launched last week with the goal of liberating some neighborhoods in Aleppo from occupation ended with the Ceasefire and Full Integration Agreement yesterday. I am pleased to state it is praiseworthy that the Syrian army conducted every phase of this sensitive operation very carefully and acted with surgical precision to prevent any harm to civilians. Despite the provocations of the armed elements keeping the north of Syria under occupation, the Syrian army, acting within a chain of command, displayed a successful performance and refrained from actions that would endanger its rightful position. The Syrian government, with its policies prioritizing negotiations, settled a problem that is open to provocations with only minimal damage. We believe that all of these are immensely valuable achievements for peace, tranquility and stability in Syria.”
“Last evening, I held a phone conversation with my brother Ahmad Al-Sharaa. I congratulated him on the agreement and the operation. I once again told him that Türkiye, as has been so far, will always stand by Syria in its fight against terrorism, DAESH in particular. We have stood by the Syrian people in the past, and we will, inshallah, continue to do so in the days ahead. I wish this agreement to be auspicious for our Syrian brothers and sisters,” the President added.
“SYRIA'S FERTILE LANDS HAVE HAD ENOUGH OF SUFFERING, BLOOD, AND TEARS”
President Erdoğan continued his remarks as follows: “I would like to draw your particular attention to this point: Apart from a handful of proxies seeking to establish a 'state within a state', it is evident that the Syrian people have welcomed yesterday's agreement with great joy. Images from the streets of Aleppo, Raqqa, Deir ez-Zor, and other Syrian cities likewise demonstrate the Syrian people's yearning for peace. A nation that has endured immense suffering for 13.5 years, paid an extremely heavy price, and lost hundreds of thousands of its sons and daughters as martyrs is once again embracing hope, clinging to life anew, and clearly declaring that they no longer want war. For whatever reason, no one has the right to ignore this, let alone to undermine and sabotage this climate of hope. Syria's fertile lands have had enough of suffering, blood, and tears. What needs to be done from this point onward is essentially clear: Foot-dragging, stalling or hiding behind excuses will not help anyone. The era of terrorism in our region is over once and for all. The requirements of the Ceasefire and Full Integration Agreement must be implemented swiftly, and all must avoid yet another miscalculation.”
“I would like to re-emphasize that we are a government that is driven by humanitarian concerns not by self-interest,” President Erdoğan further stressed. “We have been guided by our principles and values in all the steps we have taken thus far, and have displayed an affectionate stance towards our entire geography. Both our arms and the doors of our hearts have been wide open to all peoples. The reason I am telling these is because racism and tribalism are maladies rejected by our ancient culture, our civilization and our faith. There is no place for any of these in our book. All the states we established throughout history were built upon the rejection of racism. Both the Seljuk and the Ottoman states as well as the Republic of Türkiye have taken shape and been characterized by this perception and vision. It is with this understanding, which we have inherited from our ancestors and glorious history, that we always emphasize the Turk-Kurd-Arab alliance. Türkiye is not against any sect or any ethnicity. Türkiye doesn’t harbor any such unconscientious and cheap ambitions as to derive strength and benefit from conflicts. Quite the contrary, we are a country that favors that issues that inflict tremendous sufferings on the peoples of the region should be solved through common sense based on brotherhood. Everyone, foes and friends alike, is well aware of this principled policy of ours.”
