With a notably balanced tone but clear strategic intent, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan intervened tonight via the platform X, seeking to outline Turkey’s stance amid the rapid developments in Syria. Issuing stern warnings to the Kurds and indirectly to Damascus, the Turkish president positioned himself as a quasi-“guardian” of the situation, while simultaneously setting forth Turkey’s intentions and strategy in response to a Syria engulfed in turmoil.
Suriye’de artık siyasi ve diplomatik olarak yeni bir gerçeklik vardır. Ve Suriye tüm etnik, mezhebî ve dinî unsurlarıyla Suriyelilerindir.
— Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (@RTErdogan) December 7, 2024
Kendi ülkesinin geleceğine karar verecek olan da Suriye halkıdır.…
Syria belongs to the Syrians
“There is a new political and diplomatic reality in Syria. Syria belongs to the Syrians with all its ethnic and religious elements. It is the Syrian people who will decide the future of their country,” said the Turkish president, acknowledging the dramatic changes occurring on the Syrian battlefield. These changes include the relentless advance of opposition forces toward Damascus and the weakening position of the Assad government, which appears on the brink of collapse.
No tolerance for the Kurds
Central to Erdoğan’s remarks was Turkey’s stance toward the Syrian Kurds.
“We know that the separatist terrorist organisation (referring to the Syrian Kurds) is acting opportunistically, trying to grasp a foothold in the current chaos. As Turkey, let it be known that we will not allow any actions that endanger our national security and interests,” he stated on X, warning Kurdish forces not to exploit the situation to gain additional territory, as this would pose a threat to Turkey’s national security.
Call to the international community
Highlighting the need for international cooperation, Erdoğan stressed that “support from all responsible entities and international organisations to preserve Syria’s territorial integrity would be the best path forward for our entire region. Syrian lands are soaked with war, blood, and tears. Our Syrian brothers and sisters deserve freedom, security, and peace of mind in their homeland. Turkey’s sole aim is the welfare and prosperity of the Syrian people in all their diversity.”
Turkey “on the right side of history”
The Turkish president defended his policies in the region, emphasising that Turkey remains on the right side of history.
“This has always been our goal when we opened our doors to our brothers and sisters fleeing massacres and persecution, and when we extended our hand to find a solution to the Syrian crisis. However, the Damascus regime failed to appreciate the value of Turkey’s gesture and its significance. Turkey stands on the right side of history today, as it did yesterday.”
Erdogan’s vision for Syria
“We want to see a Syria where peace prevails, where different identities live peacefully side by side, where no one is excluded, and where no one’s rights and freedoms are violated. A Syria where no one is persecuted, and different identities coexist harmoniously, whether Arab, Turkmen, Kurd, Alawite, Sunni, or Christian. We hope and wish to see such a Syria in the very near future,” stated the Turkish president, who seeks to distance himself from the Damascus regime while leaving the door open for Ankara’s future role in Syria’s post-war political reconstruction.
Also read: Turkey’s objectives in Syria
