Turkey names conditions for its military presence in Syria
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Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said that Turkey's military presence in Syria has two key goals: preventing mass migration and fighting terrorism. According to him, once these issues are resolved, Turkey will have no reason to stay in Syria.
Hakan Fidan said this in an interview with Al Jazeera, TRT Haber reports.
Why Turkey wants to maintain its influence in Syria
Fidan emphasized that Turkey seeks to use its influence to cooperate with the people of Syria and provide assistance, assuring that the country has no intention of dominating the region or ignoring the interests of the Syrian people.
"We do not want to create the impression, especially in the countries of the region, that Turkey seeks any form of dominance in Syria. We, along with other brotherly nations in Syria, do not wish to repeat the mistakes made by some countries in the region in the past. Firstly, it would be disrespectful to the Syrian people, and secondly, no single country can solve Syria's problems on its own. We all need to work together," Hakan Fidan said.
The Turkish Foreign Minister explained that the country wants to ensure the establishment of an inclusive government in Syria that will protect the territorial integrity and political unity of the country. It is important to avoid the new Syrian administration's cooperation with terrorist groups such as ISIS and the PKK. Turkey insists on protecting the rights of Christians, Alawites, Yazidis, Turkmens and Kurds.
The minister also emphasized that the solution to the Syrian crisis requires joint efforts, as no country can cope with the challenges alone. Turkey wants all minorities and civilians to be able to live in peace on their historic territories.
It was recently reported that the European Union wants to negotiate with Syria to close Russian military bases there.
Meanwhile, Denmark is ready to pay money to Syrian refugees to return home.
