Erdoğan: Türkiye wants to work with Assad, Russia in Syria

Photo: AA

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President and Justice and Development Party Chairperson Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, in response to a question on the discussions of a land operation to north Syria, said, "Currently, we want to take a tripartite step together with Syria and Russia."

Erdoğan added that his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin welcomed this proposal in their latest phone talk.

Erdoğan talked to reporters and answered questions on the plane on his return from Turkmenistan, where he went for the Tripartite Summit of the heads of state of Türkiye, Azerbaycan, and Turkmenistan.

Erdoğan responded to a question on "if there is a common operation or a common working mechanism between Syria, Türkiye, and Russia in these days when a land operation to the north of Syria is continued to be discussed." 

"We will take all kinds of steps for a security corridor"

Erdoğan said, on this topic, "Currently, we want to take a tripartite step together with Syria and Russia. For this, first, our intelligence organizations should come together, then our defense ministers and, then our foreign ministers should meet, and then leaders of Türkiye, Russia, and Syria can also meet for talks afterward. I proposed this to Vladimir Putin and he welcomed it.

"This way we will have started a chain of talks. There is another issue where action should be taken quickly. What is it? Terrorist organizations are active in Syria, especially in the north of Syria. Now and then they threaten or provoke our country from there, they are doing all kinds of things.

"And we have our decision taken in the Sochi Agreement and in Astana. What is this decision? When we are disturbed from 30 km south of our border, this is our safety corridor. We will take all kinds of steps in this safety corridor.

"I will not take permission for a meeting"

Another question was addressed to Erdoğan on the statement of James Jeffrey, former US special representative for Syria that "the US did not welcome a meeting with Assad."

Erdoğan responded, "I met the President of Egypt in Qatar. I did not take permission from anyone. It will again be our national interest that will guide the steps we will take about Syria.

"This is one of the steps that we will take, within a range of measures we will take against the terrorist organization, such as the safety zone and others."

"This does not mean I will abandon politics"

Erdoğan also answered questions on the "headscarf" amendment proposed in the Constitution and the elections in 2023.

He said, (Amendment in Constitution) "I do expect positive developments. It was presented with 336 signatures but I believe that there will be support for it in the parliament, first of all from İYİ (Good) Party. Don't be surprised if there is support from HDP (People's Democratic Party). There are green lights from that side also. Therefore there will also be support coming from CHP (Republican People's Party).

(2023 elections) "At the moment you have the right to stand in presidential elections for two terms. There is no third term. Of course, this does not mean that AKP will draw back in the presidential elections or that Tayyip Erdağan will abandon politics. We are standing in this election as the People's Alliance and we are working now." (SD/PE)