Ankara-Riyadh share mutual perspective on Syrian crisis
by Merve Aydoğan
ANKARASep 09, 2016 - 12:00 am GMT+3
by Merve Aydoğan
Sep 09, 2016 12:00 am
Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu met his Saudi counterpart Adel al-Jubeir on Thursday in Ankara, where both leaders praised exemplary relations and vowed to further enhance bilateral ties. Çavuşoğlu and al-Jubeir had confirmed the establishment of a coordination council that is to have its first meeting in Turkey no later than November 2016. Following the meeting in London with the High Negotiations Committee, which represents Syrian opposition groups on Wednesday, Çavuşoğlu stated that "If we want to cleanse Syria and Iraq of DAESH, it is important that we launch operations both in Mosul and Raqqa.
We have always said that if we do not support local forces on the ground, if there is no ground operation, then it will not be possible to eliminate or even stop DAESH from the air."
In this respect, during the joint press conference with Saudi counterpart Minister Çavuşoğlu reiterated that a transition period cannot be made with Assad as he added "a person using chlorine gas [against its own people] staying in administration means the continuation of chaos in Syria." Underlining that a military cooperation between Turkey and Saudi Arabia is already present, Çavuşoğlu said "we are providing all necessary support to the anti-terror force established in Riyadh and was suggested by Saudi Arabia."
He further noted that there are Saudi soldiers and aircraft present at İncirlik Air Base as part of coalition against DAESH. Additionally to Çavuşoğlu's remarks, Saudi Foreign Minister al-Jubeir also stressed that it is not possible for some who is responsible for the death of 400,000 people, to remain in power. Al-Jubeir also noted that "Syria will be free and united and there will be no Assad in it."
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