Turkish president backs Syrian interim leader amid unrest
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has warned against attempts to incite sectarian tensions in Syria, expressing support for interim Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s commitment to hold those responsible for the recent surge in deadly clashes accountable.
Speaking at a press conference on Monday after a cabinet meeting, Erdogan claimed that remnants of Syria’s former regime were trying to stir sectarian strife. However, he described the overall situation as “largely stable yet delicate,” according to Xinhua news agency.
“We welcome President al-Sharaa’s reassuring and resolute stance that lawbreakers will face consequences. I have faith in the Syrian people’s wisdom to avert destabilisation,” Erdogan said, condemning all acts of terrorism, violence, and intimidation.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based war monitor, reported that nearly 1,500 people, including over 1,000 civilians, were killed between Thursday and Saturday. The monitor said security forces and allied factions were responsible for most of the civilian deaths in the Alawite-majority coastal region.
The violence erupted after a deadly ambush on a security patrol, which authorities blamed on Alawite militants. In response, gunmen loyal to the interim government have been accused of retaliatory attacks against members of the Alawite sect, a minority group that held power under ousted leader Bashar al-Assad.
Al-Sharaa, who led a rapid rebel offensive that toppled Assad in December, pledged to establish an independent committee to investigate the killings. “The perpetrators will be held accountable,” he said in a statement.
The recent violence marks the worst unrest since al-Sharaa’s forces seized control of the country. Turkiye was a strong supporter of al-Sharaa and his Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) militant group during Syria’s civil war.
