Following the overthrow of the 61-year-old Baathist regime in Syria, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has engaged in intense diplomacy traffic.
President Erdoğan, committed to fostering peace and stability in the region following the establishment of the interim administration in Syria, held his first meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on December 10.
The call addressed the recent developments in Syria. President Erdoğan stated that Türkiye has defended the preservation of Syria’s territorial integrity and stability since the first day of the civil war in Syria, that Syria must be governed by the Syrian people, and that Türkiye will continue to do everything in its power for the construction of a unified Syria cleared of terrorism.
President Erdoğan also spoke by phone with President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan. President Erdoğan stated that Türkiye will continue to support the Syrian people for the restoration of lasting stability in Syria.
President Erdoğan had spoke by phone with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni of Italy following his call with Aliyev. Noting that the latest developments have shown how felicitous Türkiye’s humanitarian and conscientious policy is, President Erdoğan said that Türkiye maintains its stance in favour of peace, freedom, dialogue and justice in Syria, and underlined the importance of protecting Syria’s territorial integrity and restoring stability in the country.
Stating that the Israeli aggression surfaced in Syria now, President Erdoğan said that this conduct does not contribute to Syria’s stability, and that Syria must be cleared of terrorist elements.
Türkiye will continue to strongly support the Syrian people to live in peace
President Erdoğan spoke by phone with President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen as part of his telephone diplomacy in the evening. President Erdoğan stated that Türkiye will continue to strongly support the Syrian people in the period ahead to clear Syria of terrorist elements, restore its unity, protect its territorial integrity, and ensure that all Syrians, with their ethnic and religious segments, live in peace.
President Erdoğan held his last phone conversation with Chancellor Olaf Scholz of Germany During this phone conversation, President Erdoğan highlighted the importance of the new process in terms of Syria's unity, solidarity and territorial integrity, and stated that Türkiye will continue to work for a Syria free of terrorism.
President Erdoğan also noted that creating the necessary and sufficient conditions to facilitate the return of Syrians, who had been displaced due to the civil war in the country, is Türkiye's priority.
President Erdoğan receives US Secretary of State Blinken
On December 12, President Erdoğan received US Secretary of State Antony Blinken at Esenboğa Airport. During the reception, President Erdoğan underscored that Türkiye would implement preventive measures predominantly for its own national security against all terrorist organisations operating in Syria and posing a threat to Türkiye, with a particular emphasis on the PKK/PYD/YPG and DAESH terrorist groups.
Türkiye, the sole NATO member that has engaged in direct combat against DAESH, would not permit the PKK and its affiliates to exploit the current situation and would never concede any territory in the ongoing conflict against DAESH. President Erdoğan reiterated that Türkiye has consistently advocated for Syria's territorial integrity, unity, and unitary structure.
President Erdoğan noted that the international community must work together to restore and rebuild the institutions in Syria.