Türkiye's Erdogan Says ‘Inclusive’ Administration Needed in Syria

Türkiye's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan meets with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Ankara, Türkiye, December 17, 2024. (Turkish Presidential Press Office/Handout via Reuters)
Türkiye's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan meets with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Ankara, Türkiye, December 17, 2024. (Turkish Presidential Press Office/Handout via Reuters)
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Türkiye's Erdogan Says ‘Inclusive’ Administration Needed in Syria

Türkiye's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan meets with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Ankara, Türkiye, December 17, 2024. (Turkish Presidential Press Office/Handout via Reuters)
Türkiye's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan meets with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Ankara, Türkiye, December 17, 2024. (Turkish Presidential Press Office/Handout via Reuters)

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday that an inclusive administration is needed in Syria and called on the European Union to support the return of Syrians who fled during the country's 13-year civil war.

"We have seen that we agree on the establishment of an inclusive administration in Syria," Erdogan said at a joint press conference with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Ankara.

Western states are gradually opening channels to the new authorities in Damascus led by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group, though they continue to designate it as a terrorist group.

Erdogan said there was no place for terrorist organizations in the region, referring specifically to ISIS and Kurdish militant groups. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has previously highlighted the importance of an inclusive transition process in Syria.

Erdogan also called on the European Union to support the return home of Syrians who fled the war, millions of them to Türkiye.

"We expect the European Union to support returns to Syria," he said.



France Raises Flag at Embassy in Damascus after 12-Year Closure, Foreign Ministry Says

The French national flag is raised at the French embassy, after the ousting of Syria's Bashar al-Assad, in Damascus, Syria, December 17, 2024. (Reuters)
The French national flag is raised at the French embassy, after the ousting of Syria's Bashar al-Assad, in Damascus, Syria, December 17, 2024. (Reuters)
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France Raises Flag at Embassy in Damascus after 12-Year Closure, Foreign Ministry Says

The French national flag is raised at the French embassy, after the ousting of Syria's Bashar al-Assad, in Damascus, Syria, December 17, 2024. (Reuters)
The French national flag is raised at the French embassy, after the ousting of Syria's Bashar al-Assad, in Damascus, Syria, December 17, 2024. (Reuters)

France raised a flag on Tuesday over its embassy in Damascus, Syria, after it had been closed for 12 years during the country's civil war, the foreign ministry said.

France sent a team of diplomats to Syria on Tuesday to assess the political and security situation after opposition factions ousted longtime Syrian ruler Bashar al-Assad. The team will not be staying, and the gesture does not mean the embassy has reopened.

France, which cut ties with Assad in 2012, has said a political transition in Syria must be credible and inclusive, in line with a framework issued by the United Nations.