Erdoğan Declares: “No Place for Terrorist Organizations in Syria’s Future”

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has reiterated that terrorist organizations will not be allowed any role in Syria’s future, stressing that Ankara envisions a country where Syrians of all identities live side by side in peace. His remarks came during an in-flight press briefing with journalists following his visit to the United States.

Addressing the Syrian conflict, Erdoğan warned that Israel’s aggressions would not remain limited to Palestine but would spill over into the wider region. “We have witnessed Israel’s reckless attacks in Iran, Lebanon, Yemen, and Syria. In Syria, we saw both the physical assaults carried out by Israel and attempts to undermine Syria’s efforts for peace and stability,” he said.

He also referred to his meeting with Syrian President Ahmed Sharaa in New York, stressing its importance. “Their participation in this year’s United Nations General Assembly was extremely important for the international legitimacy of the Syrian government. Reviving Syria’s economy and infrastructure is equally crucial. We are developing cooperation projects with Syria in all fields, and we always give importance to Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Erdoğan stated.

Reiterating Ankara’s vision, he said: “We want a country where Syrians of all identities live together in peace. The Syrian administration shares the same sentiments with us. We will not tolerate any attempt to sabotage this vision. Terrorist organizations have no place in Syria’s future, and they never will. The international community must also take steps for peace and stability in Syria and refrain from actions that embolden terrorist groups in the region. In particular, we attach great importance to lifting sanctions imposed on Syria.”

Turning to the Palestinian issue, Erdoğan highlighted the significance of international support for a two-state solution. “It is extraordinarily important that support for a two-state solution is increasing. However, for this support to translate into reality, the international community must act decisively and take concrete measures. Israel, through its reckless actions and policies of occupation, seeks to smother these efforts,” he asserted.

He noted that he had raised the issue across multiple platforms during his U.S. visit. “As you have followed, I emphasized this both in my address to the General Assembly, at our Gaza-focused meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump, and at the conference co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia. We will continue our efforts in this direction,” Erdoğan added.

Concluding his remarks, Erdoğan expressed optimism: “I hope that our contacts and activities at the United Nations, along with the decisions we reached in my meeting with my dear friend President Trump, will bring good results for our country, our nation, and our region.”

On Friday, September 26, 2025, Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli accused the United States and Israel of attempting to establish a “second Israel” in northeastern Syria (Western Kurdistan), declaring that they were actively manipulating the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) to obstruct Türkiye’s national security initiatives.

Speaking in an interview with Türkgün newspaper, Bahçeli said: “The United States, Israel, and actors in Rojava are inciting and manipulating the SDF to prevent it from joining the ‘Terror-Free Türkiye’ process that has already begun inside our country.”

He linked these accusations to broader geopolitical designs in the region. “Many actors, especially Israel, are striving to merge areas across the Eastern Mediterranean, the south, and northeastern Syria. They are deploying all their strength to build a second Israel in northeastern Syria and to turn the peoples of the region into their colonies,” he warned.

Addressing the political shifts in Damascus following the downfall of Bashar al-Assad, Bahçeli referred to the new Syrian leadership under Ahmed Sharaa. “The new Syrian administration, led by Ahmed Sharaa, has declared its desire to become a democratic republic, not an ideological state,” he said, before adding that certain external actors were attempting to derail this process.

He underscored that such efforts directly targeted Türkiye’s sovereignty and stability. “These circles provoke the SDF against the process, manipulating them so they will not take part in the Terror-Free Türkiye initiative. To safeguard our national security and sovereign rights, we must deny support to these external agendas,” he stressed.

Recalling Türkiye’s previous cross-border campaigns, Bahçeli concluded: “Those who oppose this process are dissatisfied with the vision of a Terror-Free Türkiye that will bring stability to the region. Türkiye has already demonstrated through past operations that such attempts are futile, and it has made the perpetrators pay the price.”

Also on September 26, 2025, Speaker of the Turkish Grand National Assembly (TBMM), Numan Kurtulmuş, announced that a meeting between the parliamentary commission and Abdullah Öcalan was “not yet on the agenda.” His remarks came during the 28th Legislative Term’s 3rd Year Evaluation Meeting, as reported by ANF.

“We must act quickly,” Kurtulmuş said, while insisting that the process must consider both Kurdish rights and dignity, as well as the sensitivities of Turks. “On the one hand, you must take into account the rights and dignity of the Kurds; on the other, you must respect the sensitivities and pride of the Turks, who make up the great majority of Türkiye. This balance has been preserved up to this point,” he remarked.

When asked directly by journalists whether the commission would meet with Öcalan, Kurtulmuş responded: “It has not yet come to the agenda.”

He clarified the scope of the body’s mandate. “This commission is not a legislative committee. Its fundamental task is to follow the process, monitor it, and provide leadership. Ultimately, it will present a framework to Parliament, identifying areas requiring legal adjustments and steps that must be taken. In a short period, the necessary laws will be passed,” Kurtulmuş said.

Addressing the ongoing constitutional debate, he stressed that their objective was to strengthen democracy and deepen unity. “Our aim is to raise democratic standards and reinforce the bond between state and nation. I know that not only the AK Party but also other parties are working on this issue. Hopefully, an atmosphere similar to this commission will be established, and Türkiye will begin the process of drafting a new constitution as soon as possible,” he concluded.