Biggest threat to Syria's territorial integrity ‘support given to terror groups,’ says Turkish President Erdogan

ISTANBUL (AA) – The support given to terror groups by forces with interests in the region poses the gravest threat to the unity of neighboring Syria, said Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday.

“The biggest threat to Syria's territorial integrity and political unity is the overt support given to terrorist organizations under the direction of the powers which harbor designs on this country,” Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in his address the annual UN General Assembly meeting in New York.

He said the Syrian people, overwhelmed by the terrorist group PKK/PYD on the one hand and radical groups organized on the basis of sectarian divisions on the other, have reached the point of revolt.

“Indeed, as a result, various consequences recently began to emerge,” he said.

The Turkish president also used his UN General Assembly address to reiterate his support for Syrians devasted by the decade-long civil war in the country, saying: “Türkiye will certainly not abandon to their fate more than 4 million people in northern Syria, who are struggling to survive in difficult conditions.”

“As the construction of settlements beyond our borders, which we are pioneering, is completed, we will continue to encourage the return of refugees to these places,” he added, referring to housing projects spearheaded by Türkiye in opposition-held areas near its borders.

Pointing to the humanitarian tragedy in Syria, now in its 13th year, Erdogan said: “We are the only country to have shown a principled, constructive and fair attitude on the developments which are threatening Syria's political unity, as well as its social integrity and economic structure.”

“It is becoming increasingly important to end the crisis south of our country (in Syria) through a comprehensive, permanent, and sustainable solution, which will meet the legitimate expectations of the Syrian people,” he said.

Also mentioning the devastating impact of the Feb. 6 earthquakes, which affected 14 million people in Türkiye as well as millions in Syria, Erdogan said: “The already dire humanitarian situation, particularly in northwest Syria, has worsened.”

“It is an unfortunate development that United Nations cross-border humanitarian assistance in the region has been interrupted at such a time,” he added, referring to a resolution on using a border crossing for Syrian aid, vetoed by the UN Security Council, whose structure and membership Erdogan has also criticized.

- Iraq

On another of Türkiye’s southern neighbors, Iraq, Erdogan said that Baghdad “is also displaying genuine efforts to overcome the internal and external challenges it faces.”

“We act with an understanding geared at strengthening Iraq's political unity, territorial integrity, and reconstruction efforts, and which does not discriminate between the constituent elements of that country,” he added.

On the terrorist group Daesh/ISIS, Erdogan said: “As the leader of the country which has waged the biggest struggle against Daesh in deed, inflicted the greatest losses on this group, and who knows very well the overt and background facts of the problem, I would like to speak openly,” he said.

“We are fed up with the hypocrisy of those who use Daesh and similar organizations as a cover for their own political and economic interests, first and foremost in Syria and Iraq, but also in the Middle East, North Africa, and the Sahel region,” he said.

Noting that Daesh/ISIS “is not the only threat in these regions,” Erdogan said: “The real threat consists of the terrorist organizations, paramilitary groups, mercenaries and some local elements working for the highest bidder which are nurtured and strengthened to be used as tools of proxy wars.”

“The countries which continue to work with terrorist organizations despite this reality, purely for their own political and economic interests, have no right to complain about terrorism and related issues,” he said.

“In such a world, no one is safe, whether they live right next to a conflict zone or far away on a land surrounded by oceans,” he added.

For years, Türkiye has repeatedly protested US support in northern Syria for the terrorist group PKK/YPG, supposedly to fight Deash/ISIS. It makes no sense to use one terrorist group to fight anther, Turkish officials have argued.

- Egypt, Yemen, Libya and Palestinian-Israeli conflict

On Yemen, Erdogan expressed his “deep sadness” on the situation in the country, situated on the southern tip of the Saudi Peninsula, which has faced a years-long civil war.

“It is our biggest wish that this problem be solved as soon as possible within the national unity and territorial integrity of Yemen,” he said.

On Egypt, Erdogan said that Ankara and Cairo “have entered a period in which we have started to develop our relations in all fields, which were stagnant for a while.”

“We are determined to advance our cooperation on the basis of mutual benefit in this new period,” he said.

Erdogan also said permanent peace in the Middle East is only possible through a lasting solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

“We will continue to support the Palestinian people and state in their struggle for their legitimate rights on the basis of international law,” the Turkish president said.

“To reiterate once again, without the creation of an independent and contiguous Palestinian state, based on 1967 borders, it is also difficult for Israel to find the peace and security it seeks,” he added, implicitly criticizing the continuing Israeli occupation.

“In this context, we will pursue our efforts, so that the historic status of Jerusalem, especially Al-Haram Al-Sharif is respected,” he said, referring to the historic Al-Aqsa Mosque.

On last week’s deadly floods in Libya, Erdogan said: “Following the disaster, Türkiye took immediate action to help Libya, where 10,000 people lost their lives and thousands still remain unaccounted for.”

“As a first step, with three ships and three planes, we provided aid to Libya consisting of hundreds of vehicles, thousands of tons of food, shelter and sanitary supplies, alongside 567 personnel,” he said.

“Our non-governmental organizations are also participating in the activities in the region with their own means,” he added. “As a country which stands by victims and the oppressed wherever they are in the world, we have not forsaken, nor will we ever, our Libyan brothers and sisters.”

The Turkish president also extended his wishes for recovery to “our Moroccan brothers who were struck by a strong earthquake like the one that struck our country,” referring to the quake that hit the North African country on Sept. 8.