Erdoğan says ‘target is Damascus’ as Syrian opposition gains ground

The opposition groups led by the jihadist Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and also including the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army (SNA), launched a major offensive in Syria’s Idlib countryside on Nov 27. Within just a few days, they seized all of Idlib province and Syria’s second-largest city, Aleppo. On Dec 5, opposition forces captured the city of Hama, and they are now advancing toward Homs, which remains the only government stronghold between the capital of Damascus and the country’s Mediterranean coast.

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While Turkey has not directly announced support for the opposition’s offensive, it has held the Syrian government responsible for the ongoing conflict, particularly for rejecting Ankara’s proposals to normalize relations. Erdoğan reiterated this point, saying, “As you may recall, we called on Assad to meet with us. We suggested that we come together and determine Syria’s future. Unfortunately, we did not receive a positive response from Assad.”

The president offered mixed comments about the advances of the Syrian opposition groups. He initially said, “We hope that this march continues without any casualties or troubles.” However, later in his speech, he departed from his earlier view: “Overall, these troubled marches going on in the region are not what we desire. Our hearts do not wish for this.”

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