Erdogan hopes Syrian opposition forces will advance, but raises alarm about some fighters

December 6, 2024 MeighTimbol News 0
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. (File photo: AP)
ENGLISH AL ARABIYA NEWS | Published December 6, 2024

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday he hoped Syrian opposition forces will continue their advance against government forces in Syria, but voiced concern about what he said were terrorist organizations in their midst.

Erdogan told reporters after Friday prayers he was closely following the push which he said was heading to the Syrian capital. But he suggested he had mixed feelings, given some of the forces involved.

“The target is Damascus,” he said. “I would say we hope for this advance to continue without any issues.”

“However, while this resistance there with terrorist organizations is continuing, we had made a call to [President Bashar] al-Assad,” he added, referring tohis approaches to al-Assad earlier this year to meet and normalize ties after more than a decade of animosity.

“These problematic advances continuing as a whole in the region are not in a manner we desire, our heart does not want these. Unfortunately, the region is in a bind,” he said, without elaborating.

Erdogan’s comments underlined the complex structure of the armed opposition forces fighting the government, and the mixed allegiances among actors on the ground, including Turkey.

Ankara views some regional players as terrorists, including “Hayat Tahrir al-Sham” (HTS), the former al-Qaeda affiliate that is part of the force.

 

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SOURCE: www.english.alarabiya.com

RELATED: Turkey’s Erdogan hopes Syrian rebels will advance, but raises alarm about some fighters

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan attends the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, November 19, 2024. REUTERS/Pilar Olivares/ File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights
REUTERS | Published December 6, 2024
ANKARA, Dec 6 (Reuters) – Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday he hoped Syrian rebels will continue their advance against President Bashar al-Assad’s forces in Syria, but voiced concern about what he said were terrorist organisations in their midst.
Erdogan told reporters after Friday prayers he was closely following the push which he said was heading to the Syrian capital. But he suggested he had mixed feelings, given some of the forces involved.
“The target is Damascus,” he said. “I would say we hope for this advance to continue without any issues.
“However, while this resistance there with terrorist organisations is continuing, we had made a call to Assad,” he added, referring to his approaches to Assad earlier this year to meet and normalise ties after more than a decade of animosity.
“These problematic advances continuing as a whole in the region are not in a manner we desire, our heart does not want these. Unfortunately, the region is in a bind,” he said, without elaborating.
Erdogan’s comments underlined the complex structure of the rebel forces fighting Assad, and the mixed allegiances among actors on the ground, including Turkey.
Ankara has for years supported Syrian opposition forces looking to oust the Iran and Russia-backed Assad, but also views some regional players as terrorists, including Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the Islamist former Al-Qaeda affiliate that is part of the rebel force.
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SOURCE: www.reuters.com

 

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