Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that his country "has no ambitions" in the territory of Syria, and made it clear that he does not rule out talks between Ankara and Damascus, while accusing the United States and its allies of fueling terrorism in Syria.
This came in statements made by the Turkish President to reporters on board the plane while returning from Ukraine.
Erdogan stressed that Turkey has no ambitions in Syrian territory because "the Syrian people are our brother," adding, "The (Syrian) regime must be aware of this."
The Turkish president made it clear that he could never rule out dialogue and diplomacy with Syria.
In response to a question about the possibility of holding talks with Damascus, he said that diplomacy between countries cannot be completely cut off, in a tone less severe than his previous statements.
Erdogan added that "there is a need to take more steps with Syria," stressing his country's commitment to the territorial integrity of Syria.
"We have always been part of the solution, and we have taken upon ourselves the responsibility towards Syria, and our goal is to preserve regional peace and protect our country from the serious threats arising from the crisis," Erdogan said.
The Turkish president said that "the United States and the coalition forces are the feeders of terrorism in Syria in the first place," adding, "They did it relentlessly and they continue to do so."
military operation
These statements come at a time when Erdogan threatens to launch a military operation in Syria targeting Kurdish factions that he considers part of the Kurdistan Workers' Party, which Ankara classifies as a terrorist organization.
And the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights announced last Tuesday that 17 people were killed in Turkish air strikes that targeted a Syrian regime site near the Turkish border.
The aerial bombardment came after nighttime clashes between Turkish forces and Kurdish fighters.
The Turkish president reiterated that his country's army, which is in northern Syria, is "ready" at any time to launch a new offensive.
And between 2016 and 2019, the Turkish army launched 3 major operations in northern Syria, targeting armed factions and Kurdish organizations.
Turkey says it wants to establish a 30-kilometer "security zone" on its southern border.
bombard the door
On the other hand, 9 civilians were killed and 15 others were wounded, today, Friday, as a result of a missile attack targeting the city of Al-Bab in northern Syria, which is under the control of the Syrian military opposition forces.
Al-Jazeera correspondent in northern Syria said that the bombing came from areas controlled by the so-called Syrian Democratic Forces and the Syrian regime forces.
The intense bombardment of residential neighborhoods in the center of Al-Bab city coincided with the flight of Russian reconnaissance planes in the sky.