Israel Poses Biggest Threat to Peace in Region: Erdoğan

“Israel has used the Druze as a pretext to extend its lawlessness into Syria,” Erdoğan told a news conference after a Cabinet meeting in the capital Ankara on Thursday.

Erdoğan said the biggest problem in the region was Israel’s aggression: "I want to state this once again, clearly and directly: Israel is a lawless, unruly, unprincipled, spoiled, pampered and greedy terrorist state."

The president warned that attempts to sabotage the cease-fire recently achieved in Syria with Turkey’s diplomatic efforts show that “Israel does not want peace in Syria.”

"At this stage, the biggest problem in our region is Israel's aggression ... If the monster is not stopped immediately, it will not hesitate to throw first our region, then the world, into flames."

He reminded that 58,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have been killed by Israeli attacks in Gaza since October 2023 and said that Tel Aviv, beyond Palestine, also attacked Lebanon, Yemen and Iran.

“There too, they massacred innocent people and bombed civilian settlements.”

Reaffirming Ankara’s longstanding position, Erdoğan emphasized that protecting Syria’s territorial integrity remains Turkey’s core policy.

“The preservation of our neighbor Syria’s territorial integrity is our fundamental policy. We did not accept its division in the past, and we will absolutely not accept it today or in the future,” he said.

He also stressed the wider implications of peace in Syria for the region: “A stable Syria will contribute to stability across the entire region, while instability will place a heavy burden on all neighboring countries.”

Erdoğan held a phone call with Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa earlier on Thursday to discuss recent developments in Syria following Israeli airstrikes. The Presidency said Erdoğan told al-Sharaa that Israel's attacks were unacceptable and a threat to the entire region, and Ankara welcomed a cease-fire reached with Syria's Druze. Al-Sharaa thanked Erdoğan for Turkey’s support in protecting Syria's territorial integrity and sovereignty, it added.

Ankara played a critical role in facilitating the cease-fire following Israeli strikes that threatened to endanger peace not only in Syria but the whole region, sources said Thursday.

In the process, Turkey has undertaken significant efforts and diplomacy, engaging with several countries as well as Syrian officials.

National Intelligence Organization (MIT) chief Ibrahim Kalın discussed the situation with interlocutors in the U.S., Syria and Israel, security sources said. He was also in close contact with the U.S. Special Representative for Syria, Thomas Barrack. The leader of the Druze community was another figure with whom Kalın has negotiated to achieve the cease-fire.

‘Attacks undermine reconstruction’

Similarly, Turkey’s U.N. envoy strongly condemned Israel's continued military attacks in Syria and called for international support for Syria's path toward peace and national reconciliation.

"After 14 years of suffering, the Syrian people now have a chance for peace and stability," Ahmet Yıldız said Thursday during a U.N. Security Council meeting.

"Despite many challenges, they have taken swift steps toward this goal. They have achieved remarkable progress in seven months," he added.

He said Syria's leadership has demonstrated "its commitment to an inclusive political transition and national reconciliation under Syrian ownership," engaging in dialogue with diverse groups in society.

"From the beginning, Turkey has supported Syria's efforts for peace, recovery and reconstruction," said Yıldız, adding that "many countries have taken a similar approach. We are observing growing international alignment in this direction."

Criticizing Israel's actions against Syria, he said: "However, Israel has continued its attacks relentlessly since Dec. 8, seeking to obstruct Syria's path to stability."

"Israel's ongoing aggression directly undermines Syria's rebuilding efforts on the basis of social cohesion," he said, noting that Israeli "interventions and provocative statements threaten the country's sovereignty and territorial integrity."

"These attacks targeting Syria's Presidential Palace and Ministry of Defense have clearly demonstrated that Israel has no interest in the peace and stability of Syria or the region," Yıldız added.

Urging all member states to reject Israeli aggression, he warned that Israel's "attacks destabilize the region and increase civilian casualties and displacement."

"It is also concerning that the scale and geographic scope of these attacks have surpassed those previously directed at the fallen regime," he said.

He stressed the need to respect Syria's sovereignty and uphold the 1974 Disengagement of Forces Agreement, concluding that "it is the duty of the international community to demonstrate that Syrians will not walk this path alone."

Source: Daily Sabah