Turkish President Erdoğan answered the questions of journalists during his return flight from Azerbaijan.
Turkey strives for the formation of a Syrian constitution and elections in which Syrians both in the country and abroad can vote, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on his return flight from an official visit to Azerbaijan.
“Everyone is allegedly concerned about Syria’s territorial integrity. But when it comes to putting this concern into practice, everyone has conducted parceling. One country has 22 bases, and another has five. Bases have been established. Turkey has no such interest. We are not engrossed in parcelization or whatnot. We seek firstly the preparation of a constitution, and secondly for elections to be held with the participation of all Syrians both in the country and abroad. Come, let’s all abandon Syria together. There can be no other solution,” Erdoğan said.
“They say the regime called them [U.S.] to Syria, and we say the locals called us. That is the difference between us. We do not recognize the regime or the Syrian government, they do. We recognize the Syrian public. Nobody wanders around Idlib with Russian, U.S., German or French flags. They walk around with Turkish flags. This is of significance. We couldn’t leave these victims, these oppressed people alone,” he added.
As warplanes of the Assad regime and Russia have been viciously attacking the last opposition-held stronghold of Syria’s Idlib since Sept. 4, Turkey ramped up its military deployment in northern Syria against a looming offensive in the region early on Sunday morning.A military convoy consisting of 50 vehicles, including tanks and heavy artillery to provide fire support, arrived in Idlib's southwestern town of Jisr al-Shughur where regime forces first began their attacks on the province’s countryside.The Turkish army’s eleventh observation point is located in the Eshtabraq village of Jisr al-Shughur. Another strategic aspect of the Jisr al-Shungur town is that it is the region where Assad forces made a massive military buildup when they first signaled an Idlib offensive.Under the Astana agreement, Turkish forces are present at 12 points from Idlib's north to south.Video: Turkey deploys more armored vehicles to Syrian borderOn the other hand, a batch of the Turkish army’s Fırtına (storm) self-propelled howitzers have been relocated to Turkey’s southern Hatay province from the Kilis-Syria border, according to reports.Turkey has been reinforcing its military presence on the border with Syria and had instructed over 50,000 Free Syrian Army (FSA) fighters stationed in Afrin, Azaz, Jarabulus, al-Bab and al-Rai to “be ready for military deployment” early in September.The number of Turkish soldiers dispatched to northern Syria exceeds 30,000 in the areas within the scope of the Euphrates Shield and Olive Branch operations and Idlib.Syria has been locked in a vicious civil war since early 2011 when the Assad regime cracked down on pro-democracy protests with unexpected ferocity.Since then, hundreds of thousands of people have been killed and more than 10 million others were displaced, according to UN officials.'Solution to Idlib must be political, not military'Russia for humanitarian corridor in Idlib, Lavrov saysPutin discusses Syria's Idlib with Russia's security councilTurkey is working to reach ceasefire in Syria's Idlib: FM
Turkey deploys large military convoy to Syria as Idlib offensive looms
Erdoğan-Putin meeting
Erdoğan will pay a one-day working visit to Russia’s coastal city of Sochi on Monday. Erdoğan will hold a bilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“We will especially discuss the Syria matter in our bilateral talks with Mr. Putin. We will evaluate the latest situation in Idlib once again. If the situation in Idlib continues like this, there may be grave results. Idlib has been calm for the last two to three days. It appears like our efforts have yielded results, however we are still not satisfied,” Erdoğan said.
The Syrian regime has recently announced plans to launch a major military offensive in the area, long controlled by various armed opposition groups.
The UN warned that such an offensive would lead to the "worst humanitarian catastrophe in the 21st century."
Health workers in Syria’s Idlib protested the assault and attacks by Bashar al-Assad regime and its supporters on hospitals and health centers on Sunday.They gathered in front of ATME Hospital in Idlib city center near Turkey-Syria border. Over 500 doctors, nurses and ambulance drivers attended the protest.Chanting slogans, the protestors were holding banners that read “Health workers are not alone”, “Terrorist kills doctors, targets hospitals.”“We are not terrorists, we are doctors and health workers,” Dr. Muna Hattab told Anadolu Agency.Muhib Kaddur, manager at ATME Hospital, said: “Doctors are symbols of the revolution. We are part of the international health sector. Our protection is the duty of the international community. We stayed here to help people[...]”Video: Health workers protest Assad regime attacks in IdlibIbrahim Tilas, another doctor, called for an end to the airstrikes by the Assad regime.Located near the Turkish border, Idlib province is home to more than 3 million Syrians, many of whom fled from other cities following attacks by regime forces.The Syrian regime has recently announced plans to launch a major military offensive to the area, long controlled by various armed opposition groups.The UN warned that such an offensive would lead to the"worst humanitarian catastrophe in the 21st century".Erdoğan to meet Putin in Sochi on MondayTurkey's resolve to stop displacement in Syria's Idlib'Solution to Idlib must be political, not military'Russia for humanitarian corridor in Idlib, Lavrov saysPeople of Idlib see migrating to Europe as last resort
Health workers protest regime attacks in Syria's Idlib
Possible humanitarian corridors in Idlib
The Turkish president said he would discuss the creation of humanitarian corridors in Syria’s Idlib to prevent civilian casualties, which was mentioned by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Friday, with Putin during his Sochi visit.
“We will have the opportunity to discuss these matters with Putin in Sochi. We fulfill our responsibilities in Syria. What we did in Afrin and Jarabulus is evident. We struggle against all terror organizations. Likewise, we are fighting against terror in Idlib. We have 12 observation points in Idlib, Russia has 10 and Iran has a few. It is true that we are strengthening our observation points in Idlib. We cannot have a weakness in this area, so we will continue to strengthen. Turkey is the most distressed country when it comes to this matter. The people who leave [Idlib] will come to Turkey. We must take our own precautions,” Erdoğan said
Ankara has established a dozen military observation posts around Idlib, which it has reinforced with troops and equipment in recent weeks.
Located near the Turkish border, Idlib province is home to more than 3 million Syrians, many of whom fled from other cities following attacks by regime forces.
The people in the northwestern Syrian province of Idlib will not be displaced from their homelands with Turkey’s determination, the Istanbul-based Humanitarian Relief Foundation (IHH) said Sunday.“People of Idlib are trying to make the world listen to their voices. With Turkey’s resolve, these people will stay in their lands and we will protect them,” Erhan Yemelek, the IHH’s Syria coordinator told Anadolu Agency.Yemelek said Idlib has become a city that hosts internally displaced Syrians from every part of the country.Stating that the city currently has 3-4 million people, he said: “After the Tehran Summit, people of Idlib got worried. They waited for the world to turn its direction to Idlib.”On Sept. 7, a trilateral summit between the presidents of Turkey, Russia and Iran underlined that “there could be no military solution to the Syrian conflict" and called for advancing the political process to reach a negotiated solution.Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called for a cease-fire in Idlib during the summit.Yemelek added that Turkey was the guarantor country (with Russia and Iran) of the region, and people there have been praying day and night for Turkey to not leave them alone.Stressing that Syrian people have been suffering for the last seven or eight years, he said they did not want to be a burden on Turkey’s shoulders and wanted to live in their own lands.He also called on all non-governmental organizations to help meet the needs of people living in camps in the rural areas near Idlib’s border.The Syrian regime recently announced plans to launch a major military offensive in Idlib, which has long been controlled by various armed opposition groups.Later, the UN warned that such an offensive would lead to the "worst humanitarian catastrophe in the 21st century".Located near the Turkish border, Idlib is home to more than 3 million Syrians, many of whom fled from other cities following attacks by regime forces.
Turkey's resolve to stop displacement in Syria's Idlib
Turkey-U.S. ties
“Our stance is very clear, and it will continue to be so. We made our offer to the U.S. at the beginning. If you’re going to clear Raqqa of terror organizations and Daesh, then let’s do this together. We’re putting two brigades on duty. We are working alongside the Free Syrian Army (FSA), just give us logistic and air support and we will clear this place. I said this to Trump myself, and later during meetings with delegations. They said they would work with the YPG-PYD. So we said it was their choice, and each to his own. Later, we made our move. We cleared Afrin. We didn’t obtain permission from anyone. There is oppression there, and we will stand up against that oppression,” Erdoğan said.
The PYD and its military YPG wing are Syrian branches of the PKK, which has waged war against Turkey for more than 30 years. The U.S. has largely ignored the PYD/YPG links to the PKK, which the U.S., EU, and Turkey list as a terrorist group.
The clashes between Daesh and YPG/PKK terrorist organizations continued for the fifth consecutive day in the Syria's eastern province of Deir ez-Zor.According to local sources, the clashes, which are taking place in Hajin town, had erupted last Tuesday.The sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to security reasons, said 45 YPG/PKK terrorists have been killed as a result of car bomb attacks by Daesh terror group.They noted that the YPG/PKK terror group, with the support of the U.S. and France, launched attacks on the Hajin city to recapture it from Daesh.The number of Daesh terrorists in Hajin city are estimated at 1,000 out of around 2,500 in the entire Deir ez-Zor province.
Clashes between Daesh, YPG/PKK continue in east Syria
Turkey to bolster military presence in Northern Cyprus
“We don’t have a base problem in Northern Cyprus. It’s only a matter of minutes for us to reach Northern Cyprus and the Eastern Mediterranean from Turkey. But Greece is not as close. There is the psychological dimension of that matter. In that sense, we may establish a base if we need it. Our presence there is important. We will not reduce our military presence there. We will increase our military presence, not decrease it. They do not listen. If they did, we would have sorted this out with Kofi Annan. What was the promise that was made during the referendum, and what was done? We said yes and they said no. They were accepted into the EU and we were not. From now on, we will do as we see fit there,” Erdoğan said.
Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when a Greek Cypriot coup was followed by violence against the island's Turks, and Ankara's intervention as a guarantor power.
The latest attempt to reunify the long-divided Mediterranean island ended in failure after two years of negotiations in 2017. Greek Cypriot voters also rejected the Annan peace plan in a 2004 referendum that was approved by Turkish Cypriot voters.
The embattled chief of Germany's BfV domestic security agency wants to more than double his staff to 6,000 people by 2021, German news magazine Der Spiegel reported Saturday, citing sources at the interior ministry.Hans-Georg Maassen is facing calls to step down after he cast doubt on the authenticity of video footage showing far-right protesters chasing migrants in the eastern city of Chemnitz after the fatal stabbing of a German-Cuban man.Chancellor Angela Merkel and Interior Minister Horst Seehofer - both conservatives - have said the issue will not bring down their fragile ruling coalition with the Social Democrats (SPD), who are calling for Maassen's ouster.Maassen, who has said his comments on Chemnitz were misunderstood, plans to expand his agency to match the size of the BND foreign intelligence service, which employs 6,500, Der Spiegel reported. The BfV currently has around 2,900 employees.German spy chief backtracks over Chemnitz protest video doubtsA spokesman for the interior ministry, which oversees the BfV agency, declined to comment on the Spiegel report, citing restrictions on public information about the agency.Der Spiegel said Maassen planned to restructure the agency divisions responsible for counter-espionage, Islamist extremism and counter-sabotage to keep up with expanding threats.Merkel is due to meet Seehofer and SPD leaders on Tuesday to discuss Maassen's fate after failing to end the row on Thursday.Police have arrested two migrants, an Iraqi and a Syrian, as suspects in the killing of the German-Cuban man, which triggered the worst far-right violence Germany has seen in decades and counter-protests by supporters of Merkel's liberal immigration polices. Germany's spymaster must explain doubts over Chemnitz videos: interior ministerGermany concerned about possible 'sleeper' cyber sabotage
Embattled German spymaster wants to double agency staff
Upcoming presidential visit to Germany could positively impact ties
Erdoğan will pay a state visit to Germany in late September, the first official visit since 2014.
“I will meet with the chancellor [Angela Merkel] twice. We will evaluate our political, military, economic and trade ties, as well as the fight against terror. Germany appointed a special representative to complete preliminary work, and I sent my special representative Mr. İbrahim Kalın to Germany. Germany has taken this very seriously, as have we. Hopefully this type of a meeting with Germany after an extended period of time will affect the upcoming period very positively. I am hopeful. I sensed this from our telephone meetings with the chancellor too. Treasury and Finance Minister Berat Albayrak will hold preliminary meetings. We will also have the opportunity to evaluate the activities of the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETÖ) and the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in Germany,” Erdoğan said.
“During the visit, we will also meet with big German companies. We will meet with companies with investments in Turkey and those who may reinvest in Turkey. Our Religious Affairs Directorate built a beautiful mosque in Cologne. We will open the mosque during this visit. I will deliver an address there,” he added.