Erdogan issues warning to Syria’s government

Ankara is committed to the territorial integrity of Syria and wants the conflict there to be resolved in accordance with the “legitimate wishes” of the Syrian people, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said.

Speaking at a joint press conference with Montenegrin President Jakov Milatovic, Erdogan commented on last week’s recent resumption of fighting in Syria. The Islamist militants of Hayat Tahrir-al-Sham (HTS) and other groups launched a large-scale offensive from Idlib province towards Aleppo, Hama and Homs.

“Our greatest wish is for Syria's territorial integrity and national unity to be preserved and for [the conflict] to end with consensus in line with the legitimate demands of the Syrian people,” Erdogan said on Monday, according to Turkish media.

Recent events have “confirmed and certified” that Türkiye was correct, Erdogan said.

Türkiye’s foreign minister and head of national intelligence are in “continuous consultations” with their colleagues, Erdogan added, noting that Ankara is “constantly monitoring the process on the ground.”

Meanwhile, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan appeared to blame the government in Damascus for the jihadist onslaught that began last week.

“The reason for the resumption of large-scale conflict in Syria is that the country's interconnected problems have remained unresolved for more than 13 years,” Fidan said at a press conference with his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi.

President Bashar Assad’s government made a “mistake” by ignoring the “legitimate demands of the opposition” and failing to engage in the political process, Fidan argued.

“We have always supported the protection of Syria's territorial integrity and unity. We will support it from now on as well,” Fidan added.

Türkiye, Iran and Russia signed an agreement in 2017 to support Syria’s territorial integrity and bring about the end to the war started by anti-government rebels in 2011. Erdogan cited the Astana Process, named after the capital of Kazakhstan where the deal was made, to intervene in Syria in the spring of 2020, as the Syrian army approached the last remaining stronghold of the militants in Idlib. Moscow and Ankara eventually negotiated a ceasefire, which obligated Türkiye to separate “legitimate opposition” from terrorists allied with al-Qaeda, such as the HTS.

Last week’s surprise attack by HTS and its allies allowed them to enter the city of Aleppo for the first time since 2016 and push the government forces towards Hama and Homs. The Russian expeditionary force in Syria has come to the aid of Damascus by launching constant air strikes against the militants.