ISTANBUL, Dec 7 (Reuters) – Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Saturday that there was now a new reality in neighbouring Syria, where Turkey has long supported opposition forces and carried out incursions against Kurdish forces that it regards as terrorists.
“There is now a new reality in Syria, politically and diplomatically. And Syria belongs to Syrians with all its ethnic, sectarian and religious elements,” Erdogan said in a speech in the southern Turkish city of Gaziantep.
“The people of Syria are the ones who will decide the future of their own country.”
Ankara has for years supported Syrian opposition forces looking to oust the Iran and Russia-backed Assad.
“As Turkey, our wish is for our neighbour Syria to quickly regain the peace, stability and tranquillity it has been longing for 13 years,” he added.
He added that the best way for the region to deal with the situation would be for “responsible actors and all international organisations” to support the preservation of Syria’s territorial integrity.
A main concern of Turkey is the presence in northern Syria of the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia, which it regards as a terrorist group, closely tied with militants in Turkey who have fought a 40-year insurgency against the Turkish state.
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Reporting by Daren Butler; editing by Clelia Oziel
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
