Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Ankara does not seek removal of Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad, stands for the territorial integrity of the Arab republic and prefers diplomacy to solve existing problems.
"We don’t have such an issue whether to defeat Assad or not. All the steps we have taken with Russians in northern Syria and the east and west of the Euphrates, there is a fight against terrorism. I always say that one of the most important components of democracy is a strong opposition. We, unfortunately, do not have it, that is the problem. It is not for nothing that we say we can come unexpectedly at night, and it will be done when necessary. At the same time, I note that Turkey has no claim to foreign lands, it stands for the territorial integrity of Syria," Erdogan told presidential pool reporters on his return from Lviv, where trilateral talks involving Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky and UN Secretary-General António Guterres were held on Thursday. TRT television channel quoted him as saying on Friday.
According to the Turkish leader, he is in contact on Syria with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. "We discussed Syria during my visit to Sochi. We hope for the adoption of a new constitution in Syria in the near future, which will stabilize the situation and take the necessary steps to solve the existing problems," Erdogan said.
In addition, Erdogan said the Turkish Defense Ministry is in constant contact with Russian partners. "Our defense ministry is in constant contact with Russia. We will continue these contacts, we would like Iran to join these efforts, but so far this has not happened," he stressed.
Turkish authorities have previously stated that the army is ready to conduct a new operation in northern Syria. The main purpose of the planned actions in Ankara is the expansion of the 30-kilometer security zone, created in October 2019 after the Operation Peace Spring.
According to Turkish media reports, the new operation is expected to involve 50,000 Turkish troops and 5,000 fighters of the so-called Syrian Free Army controlled by Ankara. As noted, the fighting will allow Turkey to ensure control over a 600-kilometer stretch of the border with a neighboring country. Ankara explains the need for the operation by threats from the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and its offshoot, the Syrian People's Self-Defense Forces.
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Photo: official website of the President of RF
Based on materials TASS