ALBAWABA - Turkey has offered military help to Syria's transitional government upon request and said it will reassess its military deployment in the country after recent events.
At a media briefing in Ankara, Turkish Defense Minister Yaşar Güler said Turkey would back the transitional administration led by Mohammad Al-Bashir after Bashar al-Assad's fall. Güler stressed that the new administration, which included opposition parties like Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, should be allowed to stabilize the country.
The Turkish defense minister reiterated Ankara's support for UN Security Council Resolution 2254's peaceful political settlement in Syria. He noted that the incoming administration has vowed to follow international rules, sustain government institutions, and work with international organizations. The transitional government prioritized chemical weapons transparency.
Güler added that Turkey's military presence in Syria protects Syria's sovereignty and prevents territorial partition. He stated that Turkey would reevaluate its deployment based on new government stability and security progress.
Turkey strives to eliminate Kurdish armed groups, particularly the People's Protection Units (YPG), which it views as a continuation of the PKK. Güler said foreign YPG fighters should leave Syria and local members must disarm because these groups have no place in the new Syria.
He also stressed Turkey's border security and non-use of the transition to create a "terror corridor."
The Turkish administration has discussed Syria with the US and Russia. Güler said Turkey is committed to its regional accords and asked partners to reconsider backing Kurdish forces, denying that Assad utilized Turkish airspace to leave.
Moscow continues to fortify its strongholds in Tartus and Latakia, thus Güler does not expect a complete departure of Russian military from Syria.
Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya observed a rise in Syrian refugees returning voluntarily alongside political reforms. Over 7,600 Syrians returned home between December 9 and 13, averaging 1,200 each day since Assad's departure.
Turkey is enabling these returns with dignity and simplicity, Yerlikaya said, emphasizing the importance of voluntary repatriation for regional stability.
