President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan warned against those seeking to instigate sectarian conflict in Syria, as he said Türkiye welcomes interim president Ahmed al-Sharaa's moderate messages and pledge to punish those who violate the law, amid the surge in violence in its southern neighbor.
"We have witnessed incidents where former regime remnants in Syria attempted to incite sectarian conflict," Erdoğan told a news conference following a cabinet meeting in the capital Ankara on Monday.
Noting that Türkiye strongly condemns all attacks, acts of terrorism, and intimidation, Erdoğan warned that while the situation is largely under control, the field remains "sensitive."
"We welcome President al-Sharaa's messages, which are both moderate and calming, yet firm in ensuring that those who break the law will be punished. I believe the Syrian people, with their wisdom, will not allow their country to be dragged into instability," he said.
He continued by noting that the key to peace in the region is unity: "The stronger our solidarity, the more unshakable our fortress of brotherhood will be."
The president also criticized those who try to incite sectarian conflict in Syria
"Anyone who looks at Syria and sees only sect, creed, or ethnicity is trapped in blind bigotry. We stood firm when one million Syrians were massacred by the Baath regime, and we stand just as firm today," he said, adding that nobody can lecture Türkiye about morality regarding Syria.
He also slammed those who remained silent when children in Syria were killed for 14 years.
Türkiye is taking precautions to be sure that no development occurs against Türkiye, Erdoğan said, urging Syria to quickly alleviate the tense atmosphere.
Regarding the ties between Türkiye and EU countries amid growing concern over defense, Erdoğan said Ankara hopes its "European friends" understand "Türkiye's new role" in reshaping the world.
He said the EU is trying to manage one of its biggest recent security challenges, and "the value of Türkiye's balanced, consistent, and principled stance since the first day of the Russia-Ukraine war is better understood today."
"We remind them once again that Türkiye is the last exit before the bridge," Erdoğan warned.
He expressed his belief that once this mutual understanding is established, relations between Türkiye and Europe will quickly flourish in all areas.
Erdoğan expressed the country's desire to enhance relations with the EU in a perspective focused on the goal of full membership.
He said the global system, which claimed to be rule-based, is collapsing. "Its founders are the ones dealing the strongest blows to the international order," the Turkish president said.
On Türkiye's counterterrorism efforts, Erdoğan said Ankara is carrying out "very delicate efforts to eliminate the scourge of terrorism that has built a wall of blood and pain among the members of our nation for 40 years."
He underlined that their goal is to prepare Türkiye in the best possible way, as a new balance is being established in the region and the world.
Touching upon the recent visits to Türkiye conducted by officials from all around the world, including Jordan's Crown Prince Hussein bin Abdullah, North Macedonian Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski, and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, Erdoğan said the newly inaugurated Nakhchivan-Iğdır Natural Gas Pipeline will meet all of Nakhchivan's natural gas needs for at least the next 30 years.
