By Esra Tekin
ISTANBUL (AA) - Behind Israel's growing aggression is an apparent attempt to overshadow the revolution in Syria and suppress Syrians' hopes, said Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday.
“Even if Israel is acting opportunistically, sooner or later it will have to withdraw from the lands it occupies,” Erdogan said in an address to the nation after the last Cabinet meeting of the year in the capital Ankara, speaking of Israel's recent illegal incursion into Syria.
Türkiye has stood on right side of history since the very beginning of Syrian crisis in 2011, Erdogan said.
The Syrian revolution has refocused global attention on the country, said Erdogan, adding that as its “neighbor and brother” Türkiye is best suited to grasp its new phase.
Stressing Türkiye’s unwavering support for protecting Syria’s territorial integrity and unitary structure, Erdogan said: “We will never back down on this.”
Ankara will provide all necessary support to the Syrian people to “make their achievements permanent” after they triumphed over the “oppressive regime,” Erdogan said.
There is no place in Syria for any terror group, including Daesh/ISIS and the PKK, Erdogan warned, adding that the terrorist PKK and its affiliates will either disband or be eliminated.
Erdogan said that Ankara is determined to continue its counterterrorism operations in Syria with “surgical precision, ensuring no harm comes to civilians.”