Numerous Turkish officials have issued reactions to the downfall of Syrian President Bashar Al- Assad early Sunday (December 9). Meanwhile, Syrian refugees in major cities across Turkey gathered to celebrate the fall of Damascus to rebel forces.
In his first statements yesterday following the fall of Damascus, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said: “The regime should have used this phase to make amends with their people but they didn’t. Now it is time to put together a new union in Syria. Millions of Syrians will now be able to return to their country.”
Fidan’s statement referenced the estimated 3-4 million Syrian refugees currently living in Turkey. While the government of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has defended the right of Syrians to remain in Turkey, growing anti-Syrian sentiment in the public has increased pressure on the Turkish government to facilitate the return of refugees to their home country. In July, anti-Syrian riots broke out in the central Anatolia city of Kayseri, reminiscent of similar events in Ankara in 2021 and in Istanbul in 2022.
Prior to the fall of Damascus Sunday, President Erdoğan had publicly announced his support for the advancing rebel groups in a statement on Friday (December 6), where he said “Our hope is that this march continues unimpeded and without trouble.” In his remarks, Erdoğan also mentioned Turkey’s attempt at diplomatic normalization with the Assad regime this past summer, saying “We reached out to Assad saying, ‘Come, let’s shape Syria’s future together,’ but we were unfortunately unable to get an answer.”
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Diplomatic ties between the two neighbors have been severed since 2012, after which Turkey actively supported the removal of Assad from power. A major hurdle had been Turkey’s military occupation of part of Syria’s.northern provinces since 2017. Turkey’s withdrawal from these areas had been viewed as a likely precondition to any diplomatic thaw.
On Sunday, Turkey’s main opposition leader and Republican People’s Party (CHP).chairman Özgür Özel released a written statement calling for the installation of a.transitional government in Damascus:. “It is crucial that a transitional government representing all Syrians be installed immediately. The CHP supports Syria’s territorial integrity, democracy, peace, and stability.“
Refugees celebrate across the region
Syrian refugees across Turkey celebrated the downfall of Assad in major cities including Istanbul,.Ankara, Antalya, Bursa, Konya, Kayseri, Şanlıurfa, Adana, Eskişehir, Kahramanmaraş, Hatay, Batman, Osmaniye and Kilis.
In Istanbul’s Fatih and Esenyurt districts, both known for their large Syrian communities,.celebrations erupted Sunday following midday prayers.
Turkey faces changed regional outlook
The Tahrir al-Sham rebel group that took over the Syrian capital early Sunday.is widely seen as being an ally of Turkey, although Turkish officials.have denied allegations indicating that Ankara had given the green light.to the latest offensive. Turkey officially supports the Syrian National Army.(SNA), a coalition of rebel groups opposed to Assad’s Syrian Arab Forces.and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
The prospect of an Ankara-friendly government in Damascus has been viewed.as a favorable development for Turkey, as well as the prospect that a.significant number of Syrian refugees may now be able to return home. The²departure of Iran- and Russia-backed Assad also represents diminished²influence going forward for Turkey’s regional rivals.
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Nevertheless, the continued control over large swaths of northern Syria by.the SDF, viewed by Turkey as a terrorist group, presents itself as a.challenge for Ankara moving forward. Additionally, uncertainties persist.regarding Turkey’s potential military withdrawal from some occupied border.regions known as the ‘buffer zone’.
Written for Medyascope by Leo Kendrick
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