This is reported by RIA Novosti with reference to NTV.
“Turkey’s goals in the war-torn Syria never included attempts to invade or annex Syrian territory,” Erdogan said.
According to him, Turkey wants to ensure the territorial integrity and political unity of Syria as soon as possible.
At the same time, Erdogan noted that Turkey spent $ 40 billion on the reception of Syrian refugees, while the EU countries provided Ankara with only € 3 billion for these purposes.
Earlier, the Turkish leader announced the country's right to independent action in Syria.
He added that Turkey’s sole purpose is to create a safe environment in which “3.6 million Syrians in Turkey and 1.5 million Idlib residents near its borders can return to their homes.”
On February 29, Erdogan said that Ankara opened the border with the European Union, which has already crossed about 20 thousand Syrian refugees.
Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurtz later called Turkey’s decision to open borders with the EU an attack on the EU for migrants.