Turkey's stance: Blocking terror, seeking peace in Syria

The Turkish minister stated that Ankara opposes any actions that could further destabilize the region and "will not permit terrorist activities against its territory or the Syrian civilian population," Fidan said, as quoted by Turkey's Anatolia agency. He assured that Turkey is advocating for reducing tensions in Syria.

Fidan added that to achieve peace in Syria, the "political process" between the regime and the opposition must be concluded.

Fighters from the Syrian organization Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and their allies launched an offensive against government forces on Wednesday. According to press reports, on Saturday, the rebels captured Aleppo and continued their offensive, with heavy clashes occurring between government forces and Islamist militias. Russian and Syrian air forces bombed Aleppo on Saturday. More than 300 people have already been killed in the fighting.

Reuters emphasized that the rebels consist of a coalition of Turkey-supported fighting groups and the Islamist HTS, the most formidable opposition fighting force.

These are the most significant clashes in Syria since 2020, when Russia and Turkey, which support the rebels, reached an agreement that ended most of the fighting.

As reported by the Associated Press on Sunday, after capturing most of Aleppo city and the local airport, the rebels began occupying towns and villages in the nearby Hama province.

Turkey became directly militarily involved in Syria in 2016 to achieve its long-term goals: a demonstration of power in the region and protection against Kurdish groups. Ankara considers a threat not only to the Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK), representing Turkish Kurds – a terrorist organization also recognized by the EU and USA – but also to the People's Protection Units (YPG) operating in Syria.