Turkish President: We won’t allow Syria to be divided and some parties are testing our patience

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan affirmed on Tuesday that his country won’t allow the partition of Syria, emphasizing that any party seeking to destabilize the country will face confrontation from Türkiye and the Syrian government.

Erdoğan said, “No one should test Türkiye’s patience, especially regarding the ongoing events in Syria”.

The Turkish president reiterated his rejection of any attempt to incite strife or fragment Syria’s territorial integrity, stressing that Ankara will stand firmly against anyone seeking to threaten the country’s stability under various pretexts, including the fight against terrorism.

He added, “We won’t allow a return to the pre-December 8th period, the date that marked the beginning of a new phase in Syria,” considering the possibility of the situation returning to the way it was before the fall of Assad’s regime to be completely unlikely.

Erdoğan warned that certain parties are trying to test Ankara’s patience regarding the Syrian issue, stressing that Türkiye won’t hesitate to respond to any attempts to destabilize Syria, and that anyone seeking to incite discord will find Türkiye standing up to them.

Erdoğan said in his remarks, “There are those who are testing Türkiye’s patience on the Syrian issue, but we affirm that anyone who attempts to sow chaos in Syria will confront us directly,” emphasizing the need for these parties to act as responsible states, not as organizations.

The Turkish president added, “We stand with the Syrian government, and we won’t allow any attempt to divide Syria under the guise of fighting terrorism,” stressing that Türkiye isn’t a country whose friendship or borders should be tested.

Amid escalating tensions in the region, Erdoğan stressed that Türkiye will continue its commitment to the principles of justice, peace, and diplomacy, while preserving Syria’s territorial integrity and confronting all those seeking to destabilize its security.

Erdoğan’s statements coincided with the Turkish Ministry of Defense’s announcement that it would hold its first technical meeting with the Israeli side in the Azerbaijani capital to discuss mechanisms to prevent unintended clashes between the two countries’ forces within Syrian territory.

The Turkish Ministry of Defense’s affirmed that Türkiye adheres to international law and bilateral agreements in all its actions in Syria, noting that it doesn’t target third parties but rather seeks to protect its national security and enhance cooperation with Damascus to combat terrorism.

Reports recently revealed the deployment of Israeli forces at several military bases inside Syria, a move seen as a clear message to Türkiye as it seeks to establish a long-term presence in some areas of Syria.

These developments come at a time when the Syrian arena is witnessing a diplomatic and military escalation, amid fears that the region could slide into open conflict if the situation is not brought under control politically.