President: Turkey Not Partner or Guarantor for Syria

“[Turkish President Recep Tayyip] Erdogan is playing the role of political beggar after his support for terrorists was exposed. We do not consider the Turkish side to be a partner nor a guarantor nor do we trust it,” Assad said in a speech at the opening of the Foreign and Expatriates Ministry Conference in Syria, as quoted by the SANA news agency.

Turkey declared in August 2016 that its Army has launched ‘Euphrates Shield’ military operation in Syria, as Ankara claims that it has begun to cleanse the ISIL terrorists from its border with the Arab country.

But, despite Ankara’s allegation, Turkish military forces support militant groups in Northern Syria, and fight against Kurdish forces in the region.

Syria has been mired in bloody war since March 2011, with Damascus forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad fighting tens of terrorist groups, including the ISIL and Al-Nusra Front.