Ankara rejects Trump’s claim of Turkish ‘unfriendly takeover’ in Syria
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan shares his assessments on developments in the Middle East during an interview with Qatar-based Al Jazeera television in Ankara, Turkiye on December 18, 2024. (AA Photo)
In a pointed rebuke to U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan dismissed characterizations of recent Syrian developments as any form of external intervention, emphasizing instead a transformation driven by Syrian citizens themselves.
“We wouldn’t call it a takeover,” Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan declared in an Al Jazeera broadcast, countering Trump’s earlier assertions. “For Syrian people, it is not a takeover. I think if there is any takeover, it’s the will of the Syrian people which is taking over now.”
Fidan’s remarks came in response to Trump’s Monday statement that “Türkiye did an unfriendly takeover, without a lot of lives being lost,” and his observation that forces in Syria “are controlled by Türkiye and that’s ok.”
Drawing on his experience as Türkiye’s former intelligence chief, Fidan painted a more nuanced picture of regional dynamics. While Ankara has historically provided sanctuary to political dissidents and millions of Syrian refugees since the 2011 anti-Assad uprising, Fidan explicitly rejected any notion of Turkish hegemony.
“The culture of domination itself has destroyed our region,” he emphasized, advocating instead for a collaborative approach. “It is not Turkish domination, not Iranian domination, not Arab domination, but cooperation should be essential.”
In a surprising diplomatic shift, Fidan urged the international community to reconsider its stance on Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), citing the group’s efforts to distance itself from extremist organizations. “I think HTS has taken huge steps in divorcing itself from Al-Qaeda and Daesh and other related radical elements,” he noted, despite Türkiye’s own official designation of HTS as a terrorist organization.
When addressing the Kurdish question along the Syrian border, the conversation took a more serious turn. While recent weeks have seen Turkish-backed forces capture several Kurdish-held towns in northern Syria, Fidan suggested that the new Damascus administration bears primary responsibility for addressing this issue.
“There is a new administration in Damascus now. I think, this is primarily their concern now,” the minister said.”
Fidan also emphasized that Iranian presence in Syria has failed to prevent Gaza genocide.
Looking ahead, Fidan outlined urgent priorities for Syria’s reconstruction, emphasizing the need for basic service restoration and refugee repatriation. “The basic services — health, transportation, food, education, communication — should be provided to the people, so the people can feel the normal life actually,” he stated, underlining the pressing humanitarian dimensions of Syria’s transition.
