Middle Eastern countries must come together and commit to protecting one another to avoid “outside interventions,” Türkiye said Sunday amid regional uncertainty following the ouster of Bashar Assad in neighboring Syria.
"It is time for the countries in the region to come together, embrace a culture of cooperation and commit not only to respecting each other's borders and sovereignty but also to protecting one another," Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan told Saudi Arabia's Al-Hadath television channel in an interview.
Pointing out the need to establish “own interests and order” in the region, Fidan said: "We do not want Iranian domination in the region, nor do we want Turkish or Arab domination.”
"All states have now reached a sufficient level of maturity and have strong foundations. There is a very strong Saudi Arabia, a very strong United Arab Emirates, an influential Qatar and Kuwait. Egypt is truly doing its best," he said.
Fidan pointed out that otherwise, the region is “intervened from outside, polarization is exploited,” and this leads to “long-term, bloody and costly conflicts.”
It is possible to establish economic, political and military alliances in this region, just as they are being formed in Europe, North America and other parts of the world, he said.
Fidan said that, amid the unfolding developments in neighboring Syria, Türkiye has been “working hard to help the Syrian opposition resolve issues constructively.”
Ankara is among dozens of governments worldwide stepping up efforts to engage with Syria’s new interim rulers just over a week after anti-regime forces ousted leader Bashar Assad, ending decades of brutal rule and civil war.
The lightning offensive that captured the capital, Damascus, on Dec. 8 led to celebrations across the country and beyond, including in Türkiye, where over 3 million Syrians have taken refuge since 2011.
Ankara is also a guarantor in the Astana process, seeking to end Syria’s civil war alongside Russia and Iran. The countries met annually and held an emergency meeting earlier when the opposition launched its offensive.
Fidan said the Astana process had played a key role, although the Assad regime had remained unwilling to find solutions for various reasons.
"Of course, as they shared power with Russia and Iran, they fought together but couldn't achieve the decisions they wanted because each country had different interests.
"At a certain point, Assad failed in reconciling with his people, returning millions of displaced individuals, providing basic services to those already in Syria and addressing the economic situation. As a result, the system eventually collapsed on its own," he said.
After the operation began, Türkiye worked intensely with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and other opposition groups to ensure it was conducted in the bloodless, problem-free and cost-effective way possible, he said.
"However, before that, we did not engage with any country or group in any planning efforts."
Fidan highlighted that Türkiye, as an important regional player and a key friend of the opposition, has effectively managed the process on certain issues by maintaining constructive dialogue. He emphasized that this dialogue would continue in the future.
He responded to questions about who contacted Assad and the events that led to his departure.
"Our counterparts told us that day they have had certain contact with Damascus. However, I don't have information about who directly spoke with him or at what level. What I know is that a message was conveyed," he said.
Fidan also dismissed claims suggesting Türkiye facilitated Assad's exit from Syria through cooperation with certain parties, stressing Türkiye had "no role" in the matter.
Türkiye's National Intelligence Organization (MIT) chief, Ibrahim Kalın, visited Damascus after extensive consultations with both regional and Western countries.
"How should regional and global countries communicate with the new administration in Damascus? We observed general perceptions and demands through our contacts," Fidan continued.
"There were certain principles that most parties seemed to agree on. These include preventing terrorist organizations from benefiting from Damascus in the new era, ensuring good treatment of minorities, especially Christians, Kurds, Alevis and Turkmen, and establishing an inclusive government.
"Other concerns included ensuring that Damascus does not pose a threat to its neighbors," he added.
Fidan said that during Kalın's visit to Damascus, he conveyed the views of the international community, the region and Türkiye to the other side.
Based on this, a meeting was held on Dec. 14 in Aqaba, Jordan, where further discussions took place.
Discussing Türkiye's policy in Syria, Fidan emphasized that it has been multidimensional over the past 13 years, with the most important goal being to prevent refugees from entering Türkiye due to Assad's failure to reconcile with the opposition.
Fidan explained that Türkiye has worked with opposition groups to control advanced front lines and maintain stability.
He highlighted their close cooperation with groups such as the Syrian National Army (SNA) and the Syrian National Liberation Front.
"In Idlib, around 4 million Syrians lived under the control of the HTS. There was always a risk of these people coming to Türkiye during times of crisis.
"To prevent these crises and maintain stability, we have remained in coordination with these groups, and through this process, we had the opportunity to get to know them," Fidan said.
He added that Türkiye has consistently advised these groups on modern administrative systems and governance principles.
"Our observations show that the primary priority for these groups is to avoid repeating the mistakes of Bashar Assad and to ensure the Syrian people achieve the prosperity and stability they deserve by embracing them."
Fidan emphasized that countries have matured, and they can achieve much by working together.
"Our message is clear. The idea of domination and imperialistic ambitions must be set aside. Attempting to control other countries in the region through proxy actions or providing financial support for ulterior motives creates a cycle of action and reaction.
"This leads to a vicious circle. The region has learned from these cycles," he said.
Fidan pointed out that countries in the Gulf were affected by the Yemen crisis, while Türkiye faced challenges related to Iraq and Syria.
"I believe Iran will also learn lessons in this new period. We must support Iran constructively. We should also communicate our expectations to the new Syrian administration and support them accordingly."
Fidan emphasized that regional countries should assist the new administration in Syria. With such support, he said, over 10 million Syrian refugees could return home and “ease the pressure.”
Fidan acknowledged various challenges in Syria during this new period, noting that expecting Swiss-style democracy overnight, in a month, or even in a year was “unrealistic.”
He pointed out his belief that Syria could establish a comprehensive national state within its borders based on constitutional citizenship while avoiding promoting discrimination or division.
"We want both a civil and democratic state," he said, assuring the actions of the new Damascus administration would continue to be monitored.
He said the new administration has key concerns in refraining from connections with terrorist groups, ensuring fair treatment of minorities and addressing women's rights.
While he mentioned that no complaints have been reported in these areas, he acknowledged that the situation remains new.
Fidan said that no military operations from Syria toward Israel have been observed.
He emphasized that all Israeli military actions are targeting Iranian militias, and therefore, there is no issue concerning Syria itself.
He noted that the Assad regime has withdrawn from active engagement.
He recalled that during U.S. President Joe Biden's visit to Türkiye as vice president six to seven years ago, he expressed opposition to Assad's departure.
"We know this was not Biden's perspective but Israel's."
Israel never wanted Assad to leave, he added.
"While Israel was unhappy with the environment created by Bashar (Assad) for the Iranians, it saw him as a generally helpful actor for its own interests.
"Until the very end, even after the operation began, the Americans told us that Israel did not want Bashar to leave."
Fidan emphasized that he does not believe the new Damascus administration will seek conflict with Israel and underlined the importance of every country focusing on its own path within its own borders.
"Israel needs to stop occupying Syrian territory and abandon that approach," he said.
'YPG is PKK’
In response to questions regarding terrorist organizations, Fidan said the YPG is a branch of the PKK terrorist organization in Syria.
"The YPG is an organization run by international terrorist fighters coming from Türkiye, Iraq, Iran and Europe. Although Americans may market this situation differently to the world, the reality is clear.
"The PKK's occupation of Arab territories in Syria, as well as their control over natural gas and oil resources that rightfully belong to the Syrian people must come to an end. Their mistreatment of Kurds and Arabs must stop."
