ISTANBUL 

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday said Ankara “strongly” condemns all kinds of attacks targeting Syria’s integrity and social peace, as well as acts of terrorism and intimidation.

The current situation in Syria, where there were clashes between government forces and ousted Assad loyalists, has been largely brought under control with the Syrian government forces' “effective intervention,” Erdogan said in a televised address, warning that the situation on the ground remains sensitive.

Stressing the instability of the Islamic world and the attempts being made to incite conflict, tension, and chaos from Africa to the Balkans, Erdogan said the most recent example of this was “terrorist acts by remnants of former provocateurs aiming to incite sectarian conflict.”

Ankara welcomes Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa's moderate statements, as well as his firm message that those who act outside the law will be punished, Erdogan said.

Emphasizing that al-Sharaa has followed an inclusive policy since Dec. 8, 2025, the day the Assad regime fell, “without falling into the trap of revenge,” he said: "The continuation of this policy with strength will disrupt the plans for Syria."

He expressed hope for Syria to soon achieve lasting peace and stability “it has longed for over the decades."

Ankara doing everything necessary for Syria, Gaza

Türkiye is taking precautions to be sure that no development occurs against Türkiye, Erdogan said, urging Syria to quickly alleviate the tense atmosphere.

“We are not interested in anyone's ethnicity, religion, or sect in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, or any other countries in the region,” he said.

The president said Türkiye “both morally and humanely” is doing everything necessary, just as it did yesterday and continues to do so both in Syria and Gaza.

“When 1 million Syrians were massacred by the Baath regime,” Ankara stood where it stands today, standing firm, the president said.

Erdogan said Syrians are spending this Ramadan without the fear of bombs after 14 years of oppression.

He said Gazans, who observed the last Ramadan under Israel's brutal attacks, are now able to take a temporary sigh of relief due to a ceasefire, even amidst the ruins.

Türkiye-EU ties in new era

On ties between Türkiye and EU countries amid growing concern over defense, Erdogan said Ankara hopes its “European friends” understand "Türkiye’s new role" in reshaping the world.

He said the EU is trying to manage one of its biggest recent security challenges, and "the value of Türkiye’s balanced, consistent, and principled stance since the first day of the Russia-Ukraine war is better understood today.”

"We remind them once again that Türkiye is the last exit before the bridge,” Erdogan warned.

He expressed his belief that once this mutual understanding is established, relations between Türkiye and Europe will quickly flourish in all areas.

Erdogan expressed the country’s desire to enhance relations with the EU in a perspective focused on the goal of full membership.

He said the global system, which claimed to be rule-based, is collapsing. “Its founders are the ones dealing the strongest blows to the international order,” the Turkish president said.

On Türkiye’s counterterrorism efforts, Erdogan said Ankara is carrying out “very delicate efforts to eliminate the scourge of terrorism that has built a wall of blood and pain among the members of our nation for 40 years.”

He underlined that their goal is to prepare Türkiye in the best possible way, as a new balance is being established in the region and the world.

Touching upon the recent visits to Türkiye conducted by the officials from all around the world, including Jordan’s Crown Prince Hussein bin Abdullah, North Macedonian Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, Erdogan said the newly-inaugurated Nakhcivan-Igdir Natural Gas Pipeline will meet all of Nakhchivan's natural gas needs for at least the next 30 years.