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President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the era of terrorism in the region is over, stressing that terms of the new ceasefire and full integration agreements in Syria must be met and miscalculations avoided.
Speaking after a Cabinet meeting in Ankara on Monday, Erdogan said most Syrians appeared satisfied with Sunday's ceasefire agreement, except for what he described as "a handful of proxies seeking to set up a state within a state." Erdogan reaffirmed Ankara's commitment to supporting Damascus in counterterrorism efforts, stating he conveyed to Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa that Türkiye "will not abandon the Syrian people."
The comments came one day after Sharaa announced a ceasefire and an agreement for full integration of the YPG/SDF into Syrian state institutions. The development followed a Syrian Army operation that reclaimed extensive areas in eastern and northeastern Syria following what Damascus characterized as repeated violations by the SDF terrorists of agreements signed nearly a year earlier.
Erdogan stressed that Türkiye views a unified and territorially intact Syria as essential for regional prosperity, declaring that "Syria belongs to the Syrians." He positioned Ankara as "a brother, a neighbor, and a friend to the Syrian people in times of need," while emphasizing that Syria belongs to all its citizens across religious and ethnic lines, including Arabs, Turkmens, Kurds, Alawites, Sunnis, and Druzes.
The Turkish president warned against repeating historical suffering, stating, "To ensure that the suffering faced a century ago is not repeated, we will not fall into the traps set before us and will not give in to provocations."
In separate remarks addressing domestic issues, Erdogan emphasized his government's commitment to serving all Turkish citizens equally, regardless of political affiliation or voting preferences. He stated that every citizen in Türkiye's 81 provinces deserves the same standard of service and respect.
"Making regionalism, dividing our people according to their political views, origins, voting preferences has never been in our book," Erdogan said, adding that the government embraces everyone with equal sincerity.
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The president also highlighted recent infrastructure achievements, including the opening of Esenboga Airport's third runway and control tower, which he described as investments symbolizing the new Türkiye. He criticized what he characterized as governance failures in Ankara's municipal administration, referencing recent water supply issues that he said left residents facing shortages and queues.
Erdogan expressed confidence in his administration's track record, suggesting that recent local governance scandals vindicated voters' choices in the May 2023 general elections. He thanked the approximately 28 million citizens who supported his coalition and indicated that even those who voted differently appreciate the current leadership amid regional crises.
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