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President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Türkiye strongly supports Syria's struggle to build a unified, independent state and will not tolerate a separatist structure threatening national security on its southern border.
"We wholeheartedly congratulate the Syrian government, the Syrian Army, and the brotherly Syrian people on their successful operations in recent weeks," Erdogan told his ruling Justice and Development Party's parliamentary group meeting on Wednesday.
"We are greatly pleased with the ceasefire agreement reached yesterday. We hope that this issue is permanently resolved without further bloodshed, that the terror organization squeezed into certain areas in northern Syria lays down its arms and is liquidated," he said.
Erdogan said the YPG/SDF failed to take any positive steps within the agreed timeline for integration under the March 10 Agreement and continued pressuring civilians in occupied territories while attacking civilian and military targets.
"The reason was frankly the uncompromising, foot-dragging, constantly escalating, time-playing attitude of the structure called SDG," he stated.
"During this process, we provided necessary guidance to all parties through our relevant institutions. We made every effort to untie the knot and prevent the crisis from turning into a hot conflict," Erdogan said.
The Turkish president also noted that other actors also intervened and made recommendations for implementing the March 10 Agreement, but there was no change in the terror group's maximalist stance.
Erdogan also condemned the attack on the Turkish flag at the Nusaybin-Qamishli border, vowing to hold those responsible accountable.
"There is no possibility of achieving any result here by attacking our glorious flag as they did yesterday at the Nusaybin-Qamishli border. We will certainly find those dirty hands that reached for our flag and will definitely hold those traitors accountable," he said.
The president said the Ministries of National Defense and Justice have launched necessary investigations.
Erdogan emphasized that Kurds in Syria are Türkiye's "own brothers and sisters" and recalled his efforts as prime minister since 2008 to raise their rights with the Assad regime.
"We know best as their brothers what kind of oppression our Kurdish brothers in Syria were subjected to under the previous tyrannical regime. Their existence was not recognized, and they were not accepted as citizens. They were not even given identity documents. They were not allowed to speak in their mother tongue or practice their culture and traditions," Erdogan said.
He praised Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa's decrees granting Kurdish rights. "The declaration announced on Jan. 16 is a historic declaration of will based on the equal and fair participation of our Kurdish brothers in Syria in the Syrian state," Erdogan said.
"Despite all these positive steps and approaches, the terrorist organization unfortunately chose blood, conflict, killing and dying instead of the welfare and peace of Kurds," he added.
Erdogan warned that Kurds in Türkiye should not fall for provocations and propaganda based on lies about the Syria operations.
"I especially remind my Kurdish brothers in Türkiye not to fall for these games and to act with prudence, common sense, insight, and wisdom by seeing the real intention behind the calls and provocations being made," he said.
"The terror organization is one thing; my Kurdish brothers are another. No one can mortgage the will of my Kurdish brother, whether here or there. No one can speak as if they are the sole representative of Kurds. No one can come between Turks, Arabs and Kurds," he added.
Erdogan said the Terror-Free Türkiye process has successfully passed resistance tests despite various sabotage attempts over the past 15 months.
"The commission established in our parliament is drafting its final report based on consensus. I believe a report will emerge that will set the horizon for politics and guide the political institution," Erdogan said.
"As the People's Alliance, we stand firm where we stood from the first day, waging a sincere struggle to heal this nation's wound that has been bleeding for 40 years," he added.
Erdogan said he held a productive phone call with U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday to discuss Syria issues.
"We consulted with him on many critical issues that will contribute to Syria's security, including the joint fight against Daesh," he said.
"Allah willing, with the implementation of yesterday's agreement, the other territories under the organization's control and the civilians living there will also gain their freedom in the shortest time. A holistic Syria, a Syria where everyone feels safe, will thus be built," he added.
President Erdogan concluded by calling on politicians and media to act responsibly during this sensitive period and warning against the climate of hatred being stoked on social media.
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