MHP leader lends support to Syria policy of gov’t

ANKARA

Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli has given support to the recent statement by Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, who expressed the necessity to establish peace between the Syrian opposition and the regime.

“Türkiye’s steps on Syria are valuable and accurate. No one living in this country, regardless of their origin or sect, is the other or the enemy of our country,” Bahçeli said in a written statement on Aug. 15.

He emphasized that Syrians are brothers of the Turkish people, having strong ties based on history, culture and faith.

“The constructive and realistic words of our foreign minister on establishing peace between the Syrian opposition and the Assad regime are a powerful breather to the search for a permanent solution,” Bahçeli said, adding that no one should be bothered by this.

Raising the level of Türkiye’s talks with Syria to the level of “political dialogue, and in this context, the removal of terrorist organizations from every geographical area where they are nested, is likely to be one of the issues on the political agenda ahead, and it is even worthy of serious consideration,” Bahçeli said.

“It is our sincere desire and hope that the atmosphere of normalization will prevail in every area and with every neighbor by 2023. What the vast geography that we live on tells us is living by embracing, not fighting, is the only option. The only political will to achieve this is the People’s Alliance,” he said.

Çavuşoğlu said on Aug. 11 that he had a brief chat with Faisal Mekdad, the Syrian regime’s foreign minister, at the non-aligned movement meeting in October in Serbia’s capital Belgrade.

“Terrorists need to be cleared. Whoever they are, whatever their names may be. But on the other hand, we also said there should be peace between the Syrian opposition and the regime and that we, as Türkiye, can support this in such a situation.”

There must be a strong administration in Syria to prevent any division of the country, Çavuşoğlu said, adding, “The will that can dominate every corner of its lands can only be achieved through unity and solidarity.”

He emphasized the need to take steps to rebuild war-torn civil Syria since 2011.