Serbian President Vucic: Syria recognized Kosovo under Turkey's influence

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic made statements to the press on the sidelines of the UNESCO General Conference held in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.

Evaluating Syria's decision yesterday to recognize Kosovo, Vucic alleged that this step took place under Turkey's influence. Vucic said, "The recognition from Syria is expected news.

It was clear how important his liberal approach was while Bashar al-Assad was in power. Now, when someone who is under the great influence of one of the key countries in the region, such as Turkey, comes to office, it is useful to realize that this is an expected situation," he said.

Expressing his belief that it was no coincidence that the agreement regarding Syria's decision to recognize Kosovo was signed in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, Vucic also recalled that Sudan had recognized Kosovo, stating, "Look, this is the same as the one in Antalya. They had invited our foreign minister there as well, but said they did not have time for a bilateral meeting. Then, Sudan made the decision to recognize Kosovo. Sudan is a place that is literally a war zone and where it is unknown who is doing what and where. I believe that in the conflict in Sudan, the forces that oppose the recognition of Kosovo will prevail. In Syria, everything is as expected. They receive instructions and act accordingly," he said.

Stating that they will continue their struggle regarding Kosovo, Vucic said, "This is not a 50-meter race, it is a marathon. We are competing here against the most powerful states in the world that want to take our lands from us, and when this is considered, we are actually holding up quite well," he expressed.

Kosovo declared its independence in 2008. The number of countries recognizing Kosovo, which is also recognized by Turkey, the US, and many European countries, rose to 120 yesterday with the addition of Syria to the list. At the beginning of October, the supply of thousands of kamikaze drones to Kosovo by Turkish defense industry companies caused a harsh reaction from Serbia, and Serbian leader Vucic had accused Turkey of aiming to revive the Ottoman Empire.