Originally posted to the Middle East Monitor, October 9th, 2020.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan confirmed that his country would not stay in Syria indefinitely, pointing out that the Turkish military presence in Qatar “serves the Gulf stability.”
In statements made on Thursday to the Qatar-based newspaper The Peninsula, the Turkish leader avowed: “Turkey will not remain in Syria forever, and will end its presence in this country as soon as a permanent solution to the crisis is reached.”
Anadolu Agency quoted Erdogan stating that: “Turkey will maintain cooperation with the US in the fields of combating terrorism, supporting democracy and ending conflicts.”
The Turkish president pointed out that his country’s military presence in Qatar serves stability and peace in the Gulf region.
He continued: “No one should be disturbed by the presence of Turkey and its soldiers in the Gulf, except the parties seeking to spread chaos in the region.”
Regarding developments in the eastern Mediterranean, Erdogan insisted that: “Those who saw our resilience, and realised that they could make us retreat, are forced today to listen to our calls for dialogue.”
Last Saturday, Erdogan declared that his country: “Will pursue terrorists in their hideouts in Syria if the agreements and pledges made in this regard are not implemented.”
Turkey’s parliament ratified a motion on Tuesday to extend the deployment of Turkish troops in Iraq and Syria for an additional year.
Link to the original post: https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20201009-erdogan-turkeys-presence-in-qatar-serves-gulf-stability/
