Terror era in region ended: Erdoğan

ANKARA

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on Monday that “the era of terrorism in our region has come to an end,” warning that all parties must fully implement ceasefire and integration agreements and avoid renewed miscalculations.

Speaking after a cabinet meeting at the presidential complex in Ankara, Erdoğan said Türkiye would continue to oppose any initiatives that risk dragging the region into further instability, stressing that Ankara’s foreign policy is firmly centred on peace and stability.

“Our region has suffered enough from pain, bloodshed and tears,” Erdoğan said. “From now on, stalling or resisting will benefit no one.”

Focusing on Syria, Erdoğan said Türkiye would not allow any attempt to sabotage efforts aimed at restoring stability in the war-torn country. He underlined that Syria’s territorial integrity and unity were indispensable for regional prosperity, insisting that “Syria belongs to Syrians,” regardless of ethnic, religious or sectarian identity.

“Syria belongs to all its people — Arabs, Turkmen, Kurds, Alawites, Sunnis and Druze alike,” he said, adding that the Syrian army had acted with restraint and discipline, avoiding actions that could undermine its legitimacy.

Erdoğan said he had conveyed to Syrian leader Ahmad al-Sharaa that Türkiye would continue to stand by Syria in its fight against terrorism. He added that, aside from what he described as a small group seeking to establish “a state within a state,” the Syrian public had welcomed recent agreements with a sense of relief and optimism.

“The requirements of the ceasefire and full integration agreement must be fulfilled,” Erdoğan said. “No one should make the wrong calculation again.”

He also stressed that Türkiye would not tolerate attempts to divide society along political, ethnic or sectarian lines, saying all citizens across the country’s 81 provinces deserved equal respect and public services.