UPDATES WITH MORE REMARKS FROM PRESIDENT ERDOGAN, MODIFICATIONS THROUGHOUT
By Ahmet Salih Alacaci
ANKARA (AA) - Turkey’s President announced on Sunday he would take part in a summit with his Russian and Iranian counterparts to be held on Feb 14 in the Russian Black Sea town of Sochi on the Syrian conflict.
Speaking in an interview on national television, Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressed hope that this summit would help further improve the situation in the regions of Jerablus, Afrin and Idlib in the north and west of Syria so that refugees forced to leave the war-torn country would be able to return in larger numbers.
He added that situation in these areas was “getting better by the day,” with 300,000 refugees having returned from Turkey so far.
Turkey currently hosts some 3.6 million Syrian refugees, according to estimates.
Noting that steps have been taken with Russia regarding patrols around the northern Syrian town of Manbij, Erdogan announced that a Turkish delegation had returned from Russia for talks on Syria which had resulted in “positive developments.”
“I hope this positive development will lead to the exit of these [terrorist] organizations, leaving this place as soon as possible and its rightful owners will come and settle in their lands,” he said.
Ruling out any potential operation into the region in the near future, he criticized Washington’s failure to leave Manbij within 90 days as previously promised.
Referring to Turkey’s Operation Olive Branch in northwestern Syria liberating the region from YPG/PKK and Daesh terrorists, Erdogan stressed that had it not been for Turkey’s maneuver, these terror organizations would have been able to reach the Mediterranean Sea.
President Erdogan further underlined that Turkey’s policy on northern Syria focused on the territorial integrity of the war-torn country, adding that talks were being held at lower levels with the Syrian government.
"We don’t advocate the fragmenting of the Syrian people," Erdogan said.
Further, President Erdogan said that the Peoples’ Democratic Party in Turkey "equaled" the PKK/YPG/PYD terror group.
In its more than 30-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK -- recognized as a terrorist group by Turkey, the U.S. and the EU -- has been responsible for the deaths of some 40,000 people, including women and children. The YPG/PYD is the group's Syrian branch.
On his country’s fight against the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), Erdogan said progress may be possible for the return of the group’s U.S.-based leader Fetullah Gulen thanks to the efforts of the FBI.
He added that operations against the terror group had not come to an end in Turkey, saying that members were still present in various government bodies.
Speaking on the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Saudi Arabia’s Istanbul consulate, Erdogan said he had listened to the audio recording of Khashoggi’s killing.
Criticizing the U.S.’ silence on the issue, Erdogan said Saudi Arabia must provide answers regarding 22 people responsible for the journalist’s "murder."
The president also praised the progress achieved in Turkey’s economy, saying that the latest peak over 100 by Istanbul’s stock index Borsa Istanbul (BIST 100) showed that the world sees Turkey as the 'place to go' for investment.
Noting that Turkey’s exports have risen to $168 billion from $36 billion since 2002, Erdogan lauded the country’s defense industry as a driver of growth.