Erdoğan’s Target was Assad Yesterday, Just Organizations Today

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In his speech he delivered at “village chiefs meeting” today (December 1), President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said target of Operation Euphrates Shield is not a country or a person. Erdoğan, in his speech at Jerusalem Symposium on November 29 had said “We went there to put an end to [Syrian President Bashar al] Assad’s governing”.

Russia reacted against Erdoğan’s statement

Russia had reacted against Erdoğan’s words about Assad.

While Kremlin Spokesperson Dmirty Peskov says “The statement was really unexpected. This contradicts with our understanding as the only country whose armed forces are legitimately present in Syria. I hope our partners from Turkey will make an explanation about this”, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin spoke to Erdoğan on the phone last night (November 30).

“There is no doubt that there is no method than a peaceful solution to end Syrian conflict since there is no military solution to the situation in Syria”, Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Maria Zakharova had remarked.

What had Erdoğan said the other day?

“We insisted on being patient but we couldn’t take it anymore and have been forced into entering Syria with ÖSO (Free Syrian Army).

“Why have we entered? We don’t have designs on Syria’s lands. We are there to maintain justice.

“We entered there to put an end to Assad’s governing”.

Today

“With its operations, Turkey doesn’t pursue a goal of violating Syria’s territorial integrity, but on the contrary, to cleanse its borders from terror organizations.

“We cannot allow territories in which terror organizations such as DEAŞ (ISIS), PYD, YPG swarm be formed right near us.

“If governments of Iraq and Syria had the will to keep their peoples united and fought against these terror organizations, there wouldn’t be any need for the operations we carry out.

“Target of Operation Euphrates Shield is not a country or a person, but just terror organizations”. (EKN/TK)