Türkiye has no intention of aggression, regime change in Syria: Foreign minister

ANKARA

Türkiye has no intention of aggression and regime change in Syria, the country’s foreign minister said on Saturday.

Hakan Fidan warned that the lack of tangible steps on terrorism and refugees are creating a more substantial threat within Syria.

“Therefore, we are pursuing solutions. If diplomatic and constructive approaches fail, we will inevitably evaluate other measures when the time comes,” Fidan told reporters in the capital Ankara.

Noting that there is a cease-fire between the forces on the ground in Syria through the Astana Process, which has been going on for years, he underscored that what needs to be done is to change it with a better structural mechanism and for a better goal.

While stressing that normalization between Türkiye and Syria is currently not a priority for Iran and Russia, Fidan expressed Ankara’s goodwill in this regard.

Rejecting Israeli president’s flight over Turkish airspace

About his country’s rejection of Israeli President Isaac Herzog’s request to use Turkish airspace for a flight to attend the COP29 climate summit in the Azerbaijani capital Baku, Fidan stated that the move came in response to Israel’s killing of Palestinians.

“The lack of any steps to prevent the humanitarian tragedy in Gaza deeply wounds us as a nation. Therefore, we did not allow Türkiye’s airspace to be used. This decision was made by our President, and permission was denied,” he added.

US president-elect’s cabinet nomination

Stressing that US President-elect Donald Trump’s cabinet nominations indicate a highly pro-Israel orientation, Fidan said there are signs that such a cabinet would support all of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s “expansionist ambitions.”

Highlighting Trump’s statement suggesting his intention to end wars, the Turkish foreign minister stated that the cabinet appointments projected the opposite impression.

Development Road Project, Russia

Fidan described Iraq’s Development Road Project as a potential opportunity, highlighting Russia’s rupture with the West following the Ukraine war.

He stated that Russia is now exploring alternative routes to access global markets, including a north-south corridor extending from Russia’s northern cities, through Azerbaijan, into Iran, and down to the Persian Gulf.

Telling how this project aligns with Ankara’s Middle Corridor Project, a logistics route running east-west through Asia, the Caucasus, and Türkiye, Fidan said that the issue of connectivity is one of the most important issues in the field of economics, notably when formulating scenarios related to diplomacy.

Western concerns on Russia-North Korea

Addressing North Korea’s reported troop deployment to Russia, Fidan said: “One of the West’s biggest concerns is what Russia has given or promised North Korea in exchange for this number of soldiers.”

He noted that if any game-changing moves destabilize the current balance on the Korean Peninsula, this could open a new front for the West, potentially escalating into a hot war and requiring new capabilities for South Korea.

Libya

On Türkiye’s advancing relations with the parties in Libya, Fidan reminded that his country’s Consulate General in Libyan city of Benghazi was opened and contacts with administrators and officials are continuing.

“The non-conflict environment in Libya, which Türkiye initiated and attached great importance to its continuation, is yielding its fruits.

“As the conflict-free environment progresses, people’s belief that it can be permanent increases,” he underscored.

Ankara attaches “great importance to creating an environment that will ensure national unity and solidarity in Libya, taking into account the realities on the ground,” Fidan said, adding: “We are doing our best to realize this gradually within the framework of a specific strategy.”

Türkiye-Greece relations

On Türkiye-Greece relations, Fidan said that they prefer to deal with all the problems as a package away from the public.

He noted that Ankara does not deem it correct to over-politicize the issues, adding that especially in Greek domestic politics, issues related to Türkiye can be overly politicized.

Noting that they want to move forward from the positive agenda with a win-win approach, Fidan underlined: “We aim to solve the existing problems through official means and eliminate uncertainties without prejudice to our national interests.

“The Aegean Sea, which is a paradise on earth, should turn into a region of economic prosperity for our countries. This is our goal. Can this be done? It can be done.”

The Turkish foreign minister further stated that a High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council meeting between the two countries is planned to be held next January or February during Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’ visit to Türkiye.

• Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan
• Turkiye