Newsletters
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday condemned a deadly terrorist attack that killed at least 20 people at a Damascus church, vowing that Türkiye would not allow Syria to be destabilized by terrorist organizations.
"I condemn the heinous terrorist attack carried out on the Mar Ilyas Church in Damascus," Erdogan wrote on X, extending condolences to the families of victims, the Syrian government and the Syrian people.
A suicide bomber affiliated with Daesh opened fire inside the Mar Ilyas Church in eastern Damascus on Sunday before detonating explosives, according to Syria's Health Ministry. The attack killed at least 20 people and wounded 52 others.
Erdogan characterized the assault as an attempt to undermine Syria's fragile stability following major political changes in the country. "In the face of this vile terrorist act targeting Syria's peace, internal stability, and culture of living together, we stand with the Syrian people and government," he said.
The president emphasized Ankara's commitment to supporting Syria's counterterrorism efforts, warning against allowing the country to return to instability.
"We will never allow our neighbor and brother Syria, which is, for the first time in years, looking to the future with hope, to be dragged back into instability through the hands of proxy terrorist organizations," Erdogan stated. "Türkiye will continue to support the Syrian government's fight against terrorism."
The Damascus attack occurred weeks after Syrian authorities announced the discovery of Daesh cells in rural Damascus on May 26, during which security forces seized light and medium weapons.
Since Assad's departure, Syria's security services have continued operations targeting individuals suspected of involvement in crimes, human rights violations and terrorism-related activities as the country attempts to establish stability under new leadership.
Syria has undergone a dramatic political transformation in recent months. Bashar Assad, who ruled Syria for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia in December, ending the Baath Party's decades-long reign that began in 1963. Ahmad al-Sharaa, who led the forces that ousted Assad, was declared president for a transitional period in January.
1 min read
2 min read
