ANKARA
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday said that the “separatist terrorists” in Syria are now “increasingly cornered” after the Syrian opposition liberated Damascus.
“With the liberation of Damascus Syrian opposition, separatist terrorists are increasingly cornered, and they are looking for new patrons,” Erdogan said at a meeting of his Justice and Development Party in western Aydin province.
“They are trying to appeal to those who do not want stability in our region, winking at imperialist powers that thrive on blood and tears,” he stated, adding: “But no matter what they do, it is futile and pointless.”
He emphasized that their hostility toward Türkiye and Syria provides them with no path forward.
“The more they chase separatist ambitions, the closer they come to a bitter end,” the Turkish president stressed, noting: “Unless they face the new realities on the ground, their time will grow even shorter.”
Leaning on foreign power centers will yield no results—and never will, he warned, adding that terrorists have only two options: renounce terrorism and lay down their arms, or face inevitable elimination.
“Our hope is for our region to be freed from the scourge of terrorism without further bloodshed or destruction,” Erdogan said, emphasizing the importance of peace, development, and stability in their shared geography, which has been rife with blood and tears for far too long.
“Steps taken both in the Syrian revolution and our domestic politics have created an opportunity to bring Türkiye closer to this goal in a shorter time,” he stated, expressing: “We wholeheartedly aspire to leave our children a more peaceful, safer country and region where brotherhood reigns supreme.”
Assad, Syria’s leader for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia after anti-regime groups took control of Damascus on Dec. 8, ending the Baath Party’s decades-long regime.
The takeover came after Hayat Tahrir al-Sham fighters captured key cities in a lightning offensive that lasted less than two weeks.
A new administration led by Ahmed al-Sharaa has taken control of the country.
