Turkey’s Erdoğan Reaffirms Support for Syrian Government
By Kardo Roj
DAMASCUS, Syria (North Press) – Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan reiterated on Monday that Ankara will stand by the current Syrian government if any actor attempts to undermine Syria’s internal stability, issuing a pointed warning to unnamed parties operating in the country.
In remarks delivered during a press briefing, Erdoğan emphasized that “some parties are testing Turkey’s patience regarding Syria,” and cautioned that anyone attempting to instigate unrest in Syrian territory “will find themselves facing the Turkish state.”
Without naming specific groups or governments, Erdoğan said that actors involved in Syria should “value Turkey’s friendship and act like a state, not an organization”—a statement widely interpreted as a veiled message to Kurdish-led forces in northeast Syria, particularly the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), whom Ankara views with suspicion.
Erdoğan’s remarks come amid shifting geopolitical dynamics in Syria, including reported plans for a gradual U.S. military withdrawal and renewed diplomatic engagement between Damascus and regional actors.
While the Turkish president claimed that his country continues to prioritize “justice, peace, and diplomacy,” the warning language underscored Ankara’s readiness to take unilateral steps if it perceives threats to its national interests along its southern border.
“The Turkish state will not allow Syria to be divided,” Erdoğan stated firmly, adding that “there is no going back to the pre-December 8, 2024 situation”—referencing a critical political juncture, though he did not elaborate further.
Erdoğan’s statements arrive at a time when Ankara is recalibrating its Syria policy. Turkey has conducted several military operations since 2016 across northern Syria, targeting both the Islamic State (ISIS) and the SDF. Despite international concern over the humanitarian and political fallout of these operations, Ankara continues to assert its role as a stabilizing power in northern Syria.
Analysts view the latest statement as an effort to reinforce Turkey’s positioning ahead of any regional realignments, especially if U.S. forces begin a phased departure from the northeast, where the SDF and the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) maintain governance and security.
Both entities have played a critical role in the ongoing fight against ISIS remnants and in managing civilian affairs across vast territories, while receiving military and political support from the U.S.-led Global Coalition.