Damascus won’t let Turkey control even one centimeter of Syrian territory: Deputy FM

Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad says the Damascus government “will not allow Turkey to control even one centimeter of the Syrian territory,” stressing that Ankara should know that “Damascus will not accept the survival of militant groups” in Syria’s northwestern province of Idlib.

“The Damascus government’s resolution is to liberate every inch of the Syrian territory, and Idlib is no exception,” Mekdad said in an exclusive interview with the Lebanon-based Arabic-language al-Mayadeen television news network.

He added, “The Turks and others should know that the Syrian government is determined to recover all of Syrian soil. Turkey must also understand that its support for terrorism and its occupation of the Syrian territory will not guarantee security.”

The high-ranking Syrian official then advised US-sponsored Kurdish militant groups active in northern Syria to stop being used as a pawn by Washington, and to prove loyalty to their homeland.

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Mekdad told the pro-government and Arabic-language al-Watan daily newspaper on November 4 last year that “occupation” forces from Turkey must depart the territories of his conflict-plagued Arab country in order for security and stability to be restored there.

“The Syrian Arab army is the only party that stands against the Turkish occupation of the Syrian territories,” he said.

“We believe that these (Kurdish parties) should return to the spirit of citizenship and to believe in their homeland; not to use Americans, Israelis and others against the interests of their native soil,” Mekdad said when asked about calls by some Kurdish militant groups in the areas controlled by the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) to stand against Turkish attacks.

The Syrian deputy foreign minister added, “The Syrian army stands with all groups, parties and tribes in order to tackle terrorism for the benefit of Syrian people.”

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He stated that Syria will eventually emerge victorious over terrorism and its sponsors, and all areas will be liberated from the clutches of Americans, Turks and separatists, thanks to the high motivation and sacrifices made by the Syrian nation and Syrian army.

The senior Syrian official highlighted that the Damascus government cannot trust Turkish assurances, because Ankara’s objectives are colonial and expansionist.

“The Ankara government misleads the public opinion inside Turkey and in the (Middle East) region by announcing something but implementing something else,” Mekdad commented.

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