Erdoğan says Türkiye not looking to take Syrian territory
Türkiye has always been a part of efforts to resolve the Syrian question, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has said, stressing the importance of keeping the channels of dialogue open between the states, no matter what the conditions are, in the context of the Syrian civil war.
"First, we need to acknowledge this: Political dialogue or diplomacy cannot be fully cut between the states. This sort of dialogue should always be upheld," Erdoğan told reporters on his return from Ukraine late on Aug. 18.
Erdoğan was responding to a question on Syria after Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu informed the public opinion about his brief conversation with Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mikdad in late 2021. Çavuşoğlu's statements kicked comments about a potential policy shift in Ankara toward the Assad regime.
"You cannot abandon diplomacy. The whole world has seen how much we need diplomacy. We have always been a part of the solution. We have taken responsibility for the resolution of the Syrian problem. Our objective was regional peace and protection of our country from heavy threats stemming from this crisis," Erdoğan explained.
To defeat or not to defeat Assad in the course of the Syrian civil war since 2011 was not Ankara's motivation, the president underlined, drawing attention to the fact that Türkiye was fighting against the terror organizations in northern Syria that pose threat to its borders and citizens.
"Our actions with Russia in Syria, particularly in the east of Euphrates and from eastern Syria to the Mediterranean, are mainly about counterterrorism. We are enduring our anti-terror fight together. One part of this effort is being carried out with Russia, the other part on our own, with our own troops," Erdoğan said.
"We...
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