Turkish leader shares mixed thoughts on Syrian rebel push to Damascus
Syrian rebels make big moves near Damascus while Turkey watches carefully from sidelines. Complex mix of groups and interests makes Turkish president unsure about supporting this advance
After friday prayers Tayyip Erdogan spoke about syrian rebels progress: their push towards Damascus brings both hope and worry. The turkish leader expressed his thoughts on the situation which has many-sided nature (with some groups being problematic for Turkey)
“The target is Damascus‚“ Erdogan stated‚ showing careful support: “I would say we hope for this advance to continue without any issues.“ However his position changed tone when discussing certain armed groups in the area; earlier this fall he tried reaching out to Assad for talks
The rebels scored a big win by taking Hama city last week - a fast-moving operation that shook up northern syria. Turkeyʼs government says it didnt help the rebels‚ staying hands-off in this push. The situation has several layers of complexity with different groups fighting including Hayat Tahrir al-Sham which Turkey sees as not-friendly
The 14-year long syria problem needs talking between Assad and his people; Turkey doesnt want more refugees running from fights. A meeting in Doha will happen tomorrow bringing together:
- Turkish officials
- Iranian representatives
- Russian diplomats
This talk is part of the long-running Astana meetings that try to find ways to end syriaʼs problems