Türkiye urges stability as Syria enters post-Assad era

Türkiye is acting carefully to ensure that Daesh/ISIS and PKK terrorists do not exploit the situation in post-Assad regime Syria, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Sunday.

During the over decade-long Syrian civil war, both terrorist groups have used the lack of an effective administration to have free reign, with the PKK/YPG seeking to establish a terrorist corridor along the border with Türkiye, and Turkish troops deployed to prevent that threat.

Stressing that Turkish officials are in contact with their US counterparts, Fidan urged all actors in the region and elsewhere to act calmly and carefully, as the region must not be dragged into further instability.

Stressing that Türkiye places great importance on Syria's national unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity, Fidan stated the Syrian state institutions must be protected and the opposition forces must immediately unite.

The Syrian people will reshape their country's future, he said, adding that millions of Syrians who had to leave their country during the long civil war can now return.

Stating that Türkiye will continue to work with Syria's new administration, using everything it has together with regional neighbors to rebuild the country, Fidan said that they have no information on the whereabouts of ousted Syrian President Bashar Assad, adding that he might be abroad.

Since the capital Damascus on Sunday came under the control of anti-regime forces, there have been rumors that Assad fled, but nothing has been confirmed.

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