Davutoglu: Integrated Strategy is Needed for the Future of Syria

In an interview with the Washington Post newspaper, Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said that “our position [on Syria] is that we need to have an integrated strategy for the future of Syria. If we eliminate ISIS without such a strategy, another terrorist organization will emerge. In a potential crisis, if you don’t take necessary measures at the early stage, at a later stage you face much bigger problems. Yes, two years ago we were asking to have a no-fly zone . . . to allow the moderate Syrian opposition to have control in the north of Syria. If the opposition had been supported, there wouldn’t be the threat of ISIS.” Davutoglu called earlier for establishing a no-fly zone to protect civilians in northern Syria, especially in Aleppo, from Assad’s air force and to stop the inflow of refugees. He also said that the situation in Syria poses a grave threat to the security of Turkey, stressing that the real problem in Syria is the Assad regime. (Source: Syrian Coalition + Agencies)