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President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Wednesday that Türkiye is not seeking influence in the region and has no desire to shape other countries, but instead “sincerely seeks brotherhood.”
Speaking at his ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) parliamentary group meeting, Erdogan said Türkiye’s diplomatic efforts are guided by a desire for regional peace and stability.
“Just as we want peace, stability and prosperity for ourselves, we want the same for our neighbors and brother countries. That is what our diplomatic efforts are for,” Erdogan said. “The goal of our contacts is likewise to contribute to regional peace.”
“Without joining any complex, we are meeting with all actors and sharing our ideas with our counterparts in a spirit of brotherhood,” he added.
Turning to Syria, Erdogan said Türkiye’s priority is lasting peace and stability in the country.
“Our greatest wish is for Syria to achieve stability and peace; we want Syrians to build their future together in unity,” he said.
Erdogan stressed that Türkiye’s position on Syria has been consistent from the outset of the conflict.
“Blood and tears pierce our hearts, too. Whether Arab, Kurdish, or Nusayri,” he said. “We therefore attach great importance to the implementation of agreements based on a single army, a single state, and a single Syria.”
He said a roadmap for lasting peace in Syria has been established and warned all sides against repeating past mistakes.
“Parties must avoid miscalculations, repeating past mistakes or poisoning the process with maximalist demands,” Erdogan said.
On Jan. 16, Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa issued a decree affirming that Syrian Kurds are an integral part of the Syrian people and that their cultural and linguistic identity forms a core component of the country’s unified national identity.
The Syrian army launched an operation against the Syrian Democratic Forces on Jan. 16 in areas west of the Euphrates River.
The operation later expanded east of the river with the participation of tribal forces, resulting in most of the territories previously controlled by the group coming under government authority.
The SDF is dominated by the YPG, the Syrian branch of the PKK terrorist organization.
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