Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad strongly criticized Turkey on Sunday, emphasizing that normalization of relations cannot occur without the complete withdrawal of Turkish forces from Syria. He also highlighted that the meeting between President Bashar al-Assad and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan must prioritize the withdrawal of forces from Syria.
Mekdad emphasized the urgent need for all foreign forces to withdraw from Syria, including those in the northwest region of Idleb and the entire area along the Syrian-Turkish border. He also mentioned the presence of US forces in the northeast and at the Rukban base. According to the newspaper Al-Watan, which is aligned with the regime, Mekdad stated that the main focus of the Assad-Erdogan meeting is the withdrawal of Turkish forces from Syrian territory.
Mekdad firmly stated, “The Syrian state will not establish normal relations with its enemies and will not normalize relations with a country that occupies its land.” He further revealed that during the quadripartite meeting in Moscow, the Syrian regime’s delegation removed any references to normalization, emphasizing that normalization with Turkey can only occur once Turkish forces have completely withdrawn from Syria.
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Additionally, Mekdad echoed Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s remarks on the “expansionist Ottoman thought” during his speech at the Arab summit, considering it an accurate and realistic depiction. He added, “When any party seeks to defend its territory and sovereignty, it must do so within its own borders and not encroach upon the territories of other nations.”
During his address at the Arab summit in Jeddah, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad strongly criticized Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, accusing him of promoting an expansionist ideology rooted in the “Ottoman era influenced by a misguided Brotherhood era.”
President Assad delivered this speech last Friday under the chairmanship of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia. He emphasized the need for substantial action and substantive discussions rather than mere rhetoric, particularly highlighting the urgent issue of the Arab Zionist entity’s aggression against the resilient Palestinian people. Furthermore, he underscored the inherent danger posed by the expansionist Ottoman ideology combined with a distorted Brotherhood ideology, emphasizing that these threats cannot be divorced from the imperative of prioritizing development in our progressive societies.
President Assad also appealed to the Arab League to refrain from interfering in the internal affairs of sovereign nations and urged the prevention of external interference in Arab countries. He advocated for leaving these matters in the hands of the respective peoples, as they possess the capability to manage their own affairs.
This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
