Turkish Pres: Syria's territorial integrity must be "absolutely" preserved

ANKARA, Dec 9 (KUNA) -- Syria's territorial integrity must "absolutely" be preserved, the Turkish president stressed in the wake of the rapid collapse of the decades-long Assad regime, Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Monday.
After a cabinet meeting, Erdogan added, "neither the (terrorist group) PKK and its extensions in Syria nor Daesh/ISIS are our country's interlocutors, but rather its enemies. Syria's territorial integrity must absolutely be protected." Erdogan citing two terror groups that tried to exploit the instability in Syria to carve out territory, including along Turkiye's borders.
Turkiye welcomes the liberation of Tel Rifaat and Manbij, two Syrian cities that suffered for years from terrorist occupation despite promises made, said Erdogan.
The Bashar Assad regime "arrogantly" rejected Turkiye's many calls to settle the Syrian conflict through dialogue and did not appreciate Ankara's extended hand, he added.
When Assad fled on Sunday, he left behind a Syria with nearly one million people killed and 12 million uprooted, with many cities turned into rubble, Erdogan said, referring to the death and destruction from 13 years of civil war. (end) aas.mb