Shafaq News – Ankara

Ankara’s work in Damascus is “just beginning,” Turkiye’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Monday, describing the post-Assad phase as a pivotal moment for Syria and the wider region.

Speaking at the opening of the 16th Ambassadors Conference in Ankara, Fidan said Syria has been a defining arena for Turkiye’s diplomacy, adding that his country “stood on the right side of history and emerged with honor” after 15 years of involvement.

“Turkiye endured one of its most difficult tests in Syria,” he noted, adding that Ankara maintained its course even as other countries engaged in what he described as “tactical cooperation” with groups Turkiye designates as terrorist organizations.

A stable Syria free from external intervention, he confirmed, would represent “a great added value for the region,” reiterating that Turkiye will continue to stand firmly with the “friendly and brotherly” Syrian people.

Fidan described December 8, 2024, marking the fall of the Assad regime, as “a milestone that opened a new page of hope for the Syrian people.”

Since the start of the Syrian conflict, Turkiye has launched multiple cross-border military operations and security measures to prevent armed groups hostile to Ankara from entrenching themselves along its borders. Its Syria policy has centered on preserving the country’s territorial integrity, limiting external interference, while selectively coordinating with international partners on counter-terrorism and security efforts.

Read more: Turkiye and Syria report closer relations after al-Assad’s fall