Erdogan on the fall of Syria's Assad regime: A dark era has ended; a bright one has begun
Shafaq News/ On Monday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan congratulated the Syrian people on the fall of the Baath Party regime, expressing his support for them.
Speaking after a government meeting at the presidential complex in Ankara, Erdogan said, "Part of our heart is with Gaziantep, Hatay, and Şanlıurfa, and the other part with Afrin, Aleppo, Hama, Homs, and Damascus. As of yesterday (Sunday,) a dark era in Syria has ended, and a bright one has begun."
Erdogan affirmed that “Turkiye's stance on Syria has always been driven by humanitarian concerns, not self-interest,” believing the changes in Syria will benefit all Syrians, especially refugees.
"The Turkish people will forever take pride in sheltering oppressed Syrians during their dark days,” he said, expressing hope for increased voluntary, safe, dignified, and regular returns of Syrians as stability grows in their homeland.
“We will also open the Yayladağı border crossing (for the return of Syrians) to avoid overcrowding at other crossings,” he added.
Regarding the opposition's stance on Syrian refugees in Turkiye, Erdogan pointed out, "The vile mentality that fueled refugee animosity in our country has been defeated along with the oppressive Assad regime."
Additionally, he mentioned that "the old regime (the Assad regime) arrogantly rejected our calls for resolving the Syrian conflict through dialogue and did not appreciate our extended hand."
"President Bashar al-Assad of the collapsed Syrian regime fled, leaving behind a country where nearly one million people were killed, 12 million displaced, and cities reduced to rubble."
The Turkish president confirmed that his country has no territorial ambitions and that the sole aim of its military operations abroad is to protect the homeland and citizens from "terrorist" attacks. "The Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and ISIS are our enemies, and Syria's territorial integrity must be protected,” he clarified.
