Turkey to reopen border crossing, bolster Syrian recovery
President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, announced that his country will take all necessary steps to ensure stability in Syria. The politician emphasized that his country will vigorously support the rebuilding of Syrian cities and counteract the influx of terrorists.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared that Ankara wants to help Syria, which has been freed from Assad's regime. He stressed that Turkey will not allow the Syrian borders to be crossed by new terrorist elements.
During a government session, Erdogan announced the opening of the Yayladagi border crossing, which has been closed since 2013, facilitating the return of Syrian refugees. He emphasized that Ankara will support Syrians in rebuilding the country.
Erdogan on Syria: "Protection against new sources of terrorism"
The President explained that Turkey's cross-border operations aimed to protect against terrorism. Actions that would lead to territorial expansion were not considered.
Erdogan expressed hope that stabilization in Syria will increase the number of voluntary returns of refugees. There are 2.9 million Syrians in Turkey, although initially, there were 4.5 million. According to the Polish Press Agency, at the Cilvegozu and Oncupinar border crossings, Syrians are already gathering, wanting to return to their homeland.
At the beginning of the civil war in 2011, Turkey accepted the largest number of Syrian refugees. However, amid worsening economic conditions, Ankara began to limit its influx over time.
The Polish Press Agency reminds that Turkey regarded Bashar al-Assad's regime as the main enemy. Erdogan criticized Assad for "state terrorism." After 24 years, Bashar al-Assad's rule came to an end last weekend.
Rebels captured the capital, Damascus, and announced the overthrow of the regime. This marks the beginning of a new era for Syria and the Middle East.
