Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan revealed details about the safe zone Turkey intended to establish in northern Syria during an interview with Al-Arabiya TV channel on Sunday.
In northern Syria and “over 98 kilometers in length and 45 kilometers in width, we have an area that we can expand in the first stage. We can make it a terrorism-free zone. We can declare that zone in which we can house those who became displaced inside Syria and those who want to return from the camps we set up,” President Erdogan said.
President Erdogan added that the Assad regime currently controls 14% of Syria’s territory.“In my opinion, Russia’s efforts only aim to enable Assad to establish a small state in Syria,” President Erdogan added.
In a televised speech in Istanbul on Sunday, President Erdogan also said that Iran is fomenting sectarianism in Syria.
“If Iran had not stood beside the Assad regime with its sectarian-driven policies, maybe we would not have been talking about a Syrian issue today. Turkey has always stood beside the Syrian people and endeavored to ensure their rights and security.”
President Erdogan also said that “puppet terrorist organizations such as Daesh, PYD and YPG are mercilessly massacring innocent people. They are attacking ruthlessly to destroy a history, a civilization.” (Source: Agencies)