Erdoğan lambasts Israel’s invasion of region amid Syria tensions

Answering journalists’ questions as he was returning from an official visit to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) on Sunday, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan hit out at Israel over the latest developments in Syria’s Suwayda.

In remarks published on Monday, Erdoğan expressed concerns over clashes between local groups in Syria’s Suwayda that have claimed hundreds of lives since last week. “But the bigger strategic problem in the region is Israel’s attempt to invade the region,” Erdoğan said as he lambasted Israeli attacks in Syria under the pretext of assisting the Druze community. He said the Druze factions, as well as others, managed to come together to discuss the truce, but Israel did not favor a united, integrated Syria and continued its provocations.

Regarding the Suwayda clashes and their aftermath, Erdoğan stated that Syrian interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa exhibited a strong stance during the developments and made no concessions. “Israel strives to set the entire region on fire, but Syria’s stance cautiously reined in this process. Syria now controls (flash point areas) with 2,5000 soldiers. They are under control. Syria’s south is under control,” Erdoğan said.

Türkiye mobilized after clashes broke out in Suwayda recently and sought to defuse tensions while expressing support for Damascus. A cease-fire took hold on Sunday as Interior Ministry security forces deployed on the outskirts of Suwayda. Interior Minister Anas Khattab said Sunday the truce would allow for the release of hostages and detainees held by the warring sides.

“People of Syria will not fall for such traps, as they learned lessons from their past suffering. Reconciliation is maintained between Druzes and others. al-Sharaa took positive steps,” Erdoğan said.

Regarding a recent phone call with al-Sharaa, Erdoğan said: “We pledged support to them. Our Foreign ministry, the U.S. envoy in Syria, and the U.S. secretary of state are in constant touch regarding Syria. Our intelligence director and defense minister are also holding talks with their counterparts. There have been talks in Amman for the past two days,” he said.

Erdoğan said two branches of the Druze community were unanimous on their stance on the issue, but another branch “acted in unison with Israel and did not compromise.”

“Suwayda is surrounded, and police and troops are on the outskirts of the city. At least, they barred more forces from entering there. All sides except one faction volunteered to maintain a cease-fire. As a matter of fact, there is a constructive atmosphere, Erdoğan said.

The president underlined the necessity of telling the world Israel’s project to destabilize the region. “We are doing this right now. The U.S. is aware that it should act on this matter,” he said.

Erdoğan also spoke about the divided island of Cyprus and reiterated Ankara’s commitment to support Turkish Cypriots. “Türkiye will not be in any process that does not guarantee sovereign equality for Turkish Cypriots,” he said.

“Greek Cypriots don’t want a solution on Cyprus; they want Turkish Cypriots as their pariahs,” he added.

The president stated that he reiterated Türkiye’s support for the TRNC during his visit, particularly concerning the Turkish Cypriot vision of a two-state solution in divided Cyprus.

“We will continue our support to Turkish Cypriot brothers in every field,” he said.

He also answered a question about reports that Greek Cypriot leader Nikos Christodoulides would invite him to southern Cyprus once the latter’s administration took over the rotating presidency of the EU.

“It is out of question for me to visit the south. They don’t recognize the TRNC as a state, so we don’t recognize them as a state,” he said.

Erdoğan stated that the Greek Cypriot side had repeatedly demonstrated that it was not in favor of a solution to the Cyprus question. “Key to the solution is two states, and this cannot be negotiated. Our policy is clear on that matter,” he said.

TRNC President Ersin Tatar and Greek Cypriot leader Nikos Christodoulides met in New York at U.N. headquarters for informal talks on the future of the divided island. They were accompanied by U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and representatives of the guarantor powers, Türkiye, Greece and the United Kingdom. The talks, held for the second time this year, did not yield any concrete results, but the two sides agreed on confidence-building measures. Greek Cypriots advocate for the reunification of the island with a bi-communal administrative system, while the TRNC insists on a two-state solution where it will be recognized as a sovereign state.

The president also commented on the terror-free Türkiye initiative to end years of PKK terrorism and said they were cautious against any sabotage attempts to undermine the process.

“We are taking steps to complete our goal of a terror-free Türkiye. We are extremely cautious so that the process would not be affected by provocations,” he said.

“The disarmament has begun, and our colleagues monitor the process. Setting up a parliamentary committee is also in its final stage. Soon, you will see more developments on the issue in Parliament. We are determined to build a terror-free future. We are well aware of what we will do and how we will achieve our goals. Developments in our region show how accurate our steps are,” Erdoğan said.

He noted that PKK ringleader Abdullah Öcalan fully endorsed the process, but the stance of the YPG, the Syrian wing of the PKK, was subject to change.

“It is important to consider how (disarmament) will be reflected in the YPG,” he said. The president said interim leader Ahmed al-Sharaa’s persistence on the integration of the YPG into the Syrian army thwarted the terrorist group’s agenda.

“We will not abandon al-Sharaa. We don’t want Syria to be fragmented,” he said. The YPG controls portions of northeastern Syria through a self-styled autonomous region. The terrorist group recently called for a decentralized Syria in its bid to retain its so-called autonomy, but Damascus flatly rejected it. Erdoğan said the recovery of Syria would be positive for Türkiye.

“Syrians in our country have voluntarily returned (after the fall of the Assad regime). We will continue supporting returns. With more returns, Syria will regain a sense of normalcy, and we will have a more stable southern border,” he said.

On the question of whether a terror-free Türkiye would help Türkiye’s membership bid for the EU, Erdoğan said the EU should not wait “for another day” to revive membership negotiations. The EU has designated the PKK as a terrorist group but largely tolerated supporters of the PKK while criticizing Türkiye’s counterterrorism efforts, claiming human rights violations.

“We tell all our counterparts in the EU that we preserve our full membership goal. Once the bloc adopts a new strategy and vision for this matter, there will be no obstacles. Political barriers against Türkiye should be immediately lifted,” Erdoğan said.

The president called upon EU countries to maintain relations fairly and equitably. “We expect them to understand that relations cannot be enhanced with a hesitant stand. Considering what’s happening near Europe and differences of opinion within the bloc, it is obvious that the EU needs a solution-oriented, dynamic member like Türkiye,” he said, referring to the Russia-Ukraine conflict that prompted the EU to bolster its defenses.

The EU has recently approved future mechanisms for defense cooperation with non-EU countries, including Türkiye, which maintains good relations with both Ukraine and Russia.

“Türkiye is the last exit for Europe. The world is changing. Europe has already changed. EU can propel itself into the future, into this new era by shedding its old political mindset,” he said.

On the situation in Gaza and the likelihood of a new cease-fire between Hamas and Israel, Erdoğan said the people of Gaza have not surrendered and would not surrender. “Israel, on the other hand, is attacking everywhere like a rabid beast, and Allah willing, it will fall victim to its own aggression,” Erdoğan said.

The president reiterated Türkiye’s commitment to the Palestinian cause and said they would persist in standing with Gaza. “Hamas and Israel have yet to reach full agreement on how humanitarian aid – particularly food – will be distributed. If a 60-day cease-fire is secured and hostages are released, Hamas wants Israel to commit to extending the cease-fire. Israel is resisting this demand. The U.S., Egypt and Qatar, with our support, are trying to find a middle ground. The concern is to avoid a situation where hostages are released, a 60-day cease-fire is achieved, but then everything reverts to the current state once that period ends. If there is no binding mechanism or guarantee of a lasting cease-fire, Hamas will see this only as a choice between dying today or in 60 days. That is why a serious negotiation process is ongoing at this point,” Erdoğan said.