Turkey says Syrians can’t rebuild country on their own, new administration must be inclusive
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan says Syria’s new administration must be inclusive because the Syrian people will now determine their future after the ousting of President Bashar al-Assad by rebels.
Islamist Syrian rebels declared Assad’s ouster after seizing control of Damascus today, ending his family’s iron-fisted rule after more than 13 years of civil war in a seismic moment for the Middle East.
In a press conference in Doha, Fidan says Syrian people are not in a position to rebuild on their own and that international actors and regional powers have to act with prudence and preserve its territorial integrity, warning that “terrorist organizations” must not be allowed to take advantage of the situation.
Asked about the whereabouts of Assad, Fidan says he cannot comment on the issue but that he believes he is out of Syria. He also says Turkey had no contact with Assad despite a call from President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to hold normalization talks.