Breaking news... Erdoğan's statement on Syria: 'I told Assad let's meet, I received no response'

AKP Chairman and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan made statements to journalists after Friday prayers.

Speaking about the advance of jihadist groups led by HTS in Syria, Erdoğan said, "We are seeing an advance toward Damascus."

Erdoğan announced that he had requested a meeting with Assad and stated that he had not received a response.

Highlights from Erdoğan's statements are as follows:

"Idlib, Hama, Homs, and of course the target is Damascus. This march by the opposition continues. Our hope is that this march in Syria continues without any accidents or trouble. We had made a call to Assad. We said, 'Come, let us determine the future of Syria together.' Unfortunately, we did not receive a positive response to this.

As of now, after Idlib, Hama and Homs are in the hands of the opposition. There is an advance toward Damascus. The troubled marches continuing in the region are not as we desire; our hearts do not want these. Lebanon is in a very difficult situation. Everything has been leveled. There are requests for aid. We will continue our aid during a time when the world is silent.

The region is in trouble; I received news from the Prime Minister of Lebanon again yesterday, and we will speak with him as well."