Statement on Syria from Hakan Fidan: 'We will support the preservation of Syria's territorial integrity'

The Syrian Army has withdrawn from Aleppo following the advance of jihadist groups affiliated with HTS.

Following the start of clashes in the region, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who went to Damascus yesterday (December 1) to meet with Bashar al-Assad, arrived in Turkey today (December 2).

Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan met with his counterpart Araghchi in Ankara. The two ministers held a joint press conference after the meeting.

In his statement at the meeting, Minister Fidan said that they reviewed both the developments in Syria and the region as well as bilateral relations during his meeting with Araghchi.

Stating that they are working on new mechanisms and agreements with Iran, Fidan noted that they need to improve border gates and transport lines.

COOPERATION WITH IRAN AGAINST TERRORISM WILL CONTINUE

Expressing that Turkey and Iran will continue their cooperation against terrorism, Fidan added, "There is a consensus between Iran and Turkey against both the PKK and its affiliates."

Regarding the Israeli attacks, Fidan said the following:

"We welcome the ceasefire in Lebanon. The genocide in Gaza continues. The Netanyahu government is preventing humanitarian aid from entering the region. No ongoing development should make us forget Gaza. The ICC's arrest warrant is promising."

"WE WILL SUPPORT THE PRESERVATION OF SYRIA'S TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY"

Stating that it would be wrong to try to explain the events in Syria with any external intervention, Minister Fidan said, "The Astana process stopped the clashes; the reason for the start of the clashes in Syria is that the country's problems have not been solved for 13 years. It was a mistake for the regime to be involved in the political process."

Expressing that attacks on civilians have reignited the civil war, he added, "We have supported and will continue to support the preservation of Syria's territorial integrity."

Minister Fidan said that they are following the developments regarding Syria very closely and noted the following: "We have taken stock of the 13 years and calculated what steps can be taken in the new period. Stopping the civil war with the Astana process was a very important achievement. Turkey, Russia, and Iran have a very large share in this process. The opposition and the regime followed this framework. Our President recently underlined that this problem should be solved through dialogue."

Stating that they will revive the Astana process in the near future, the Foreign Minister said, "We do not want the civil war to escalate. We do not want cities to be destroyed and people to be displaced. On the contrary, it is extremely important that the refugee flow stops and reverses."

ARAGHCHI: IT WOULD BE A BIG MISTAKE TO IGNORE THE ROLE OF THE ZIONIST REGIME IN SYRIA

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that "terrorist groups in Syria have relations with the US and Israel" and stated that these groups are creating insecurity in Syria.

Araghchi said, "It would be a big mistake to ignore the role of the Zionist regime in the emergence of this tension."

The Iranian minister stated that they have reached a consensus on preserving the gains of the Astana process and said the following:

"The insecurity in Syria will be a blow to the Syrian people and economy. Syria should not be a center for terrorist organizations. It should not be a center for Takfiri and non-Takfiri terrorist organizations."

Continuing his statement, "As neighboring countries, we need to take effective and rapid initiatives to prevent the undermining of security and stability in Syria," Araghchi added, "As we have done before, today we offer our firm support to the Syrian people, army, and government as Iran."