Turkey signals cautious optimism as Assad's regime falters
- The new Syria should not pose a threat to neighbours - said Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Sunday. He added that hope has arisen in Syria and that the authorities in Ankara have already begun efforts for the return of Syrian refugees to their homeland.
- Syria has reached a stage where the Syrian people will shape the future of their own country, today there is hope - stated Fidan, who is in Doha, the capital of Qatar.
He also informed that Ankara has already begun efforts to return Syrian refugees living in Turkey to their homeland.
Fidan said at a press conference that the Syrian nation will not be able to rebuild the country on its own and announced Turkish assistance. He also emphasized that international entities and regional players should act prudently.
The head of Turkish diplomacy warned that the current situation in Syria might be exploited by terrorist organizations. He conveyed that he does not know where the ousted president of Syria, Bashar al-Assad, is, but he suspects that he is out of the country.
Overthrow in Syria: the long-term regime has fallen
Assad, who has not spoken in public since the sudden rebel advance a week ago, flew out of Damascus for an unknown destination earlier on Sunday - reported Reuters.
There is no confirmed information about what is happening with the deposed dictator. A Reuters source reported that the plane he might have been on disappeared from radar and could have been shot down.
Syrian Prime Minister Muhammad Gazi al-Jalali stated that since Saturday evening, it is unknown where Assad and Defence Minister Ali Mahmud Abbas are.
On Saturday, "The Telegraph" reported that Assad's family has left the country and is currently on the territory of the Russian Federation.
