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Egypt’s FM Says Cyprus, Greece Not Upset With Egyptian-Turkish Rapprochement

Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry. (KUNA)
Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry. (KUNA)
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Egypt’s FM Says Cyprus, Greece Not Upset With Egyptian-Turkish Rapprochement

Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry. (KUNA)
Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry. (KUNA)

Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry has reassured that Greece and Cyprus are not upset with the Egyptian-Turkish rapprochement.

Cyprus and Greece are not upset with such rapprochement, he said Shukry, adding: “We are informing them about all the developments in the Eastern Mediterranean region.”

On Egyptian-Turkish relations, the foreign minister said Egypt is assessing Turkish policies hoping for the removal of all obstacles that hinder building mutual relations.

Egypt is working on exploring how Ankara is ready to have relations with Cairo on a proper basis and its compliance with international law, the minister added.

Regarding Libya, the eastern Mediterranean, and the Muslim Brotherhood, Shoukry said these matters are of great significance for Egypt's security and stability.

He also stressed the importance for Ankara to distance itself from anything that destabilizes Egypt.

The FM pointed out that if Turkey did not extradite Muslim Brotherhood members to Egypt or close Brotherhood-affiliated TV channels, the situation would be more difficult, saying all these policies are being monitored and ties could be established in case of any progress.

On Qatar, Shoukry said Egypt is implementing the decisions reached at the summit in AlUla, saying that committees have been formed to restore Egyptian-Qatari ties.

He reaffirmed that Egypt always seeks to be on good terms with its regional and international partners.

Regarding the invitation of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi to visit Doha, the minister said such a trip would take place at the appropriate time.

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Syria Authorities Say Torched 1 Million Captagon Pills

A man throws a bag onto a pile of burning illicit drugs, as Syria's new authorities burn drugs reportedly seized from a security branch, in Damascus on December 25, 2024. (AFP)
A man throws a bag onto a pile of burning illicit drugs, as Syria's new authorities burn drugs reportedly seized from a security branch, in Damascus on December 25, 2024. (AFP)
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Syria Authorities Say Torched 1 Million Captagon Pills

A man throws a bag onto a pile of burning illicit drugs, as Syria's new authorities burn drugs reportedly seized from a security branch, in Damascus on December 25, 2024. (AFP)
A man throws a bag onto a pile of burning illicit drugs, as Syria's new authorities burn drugs reportedly seized from a security branch, in Damascus on December 25, 2024. (AFP)

Syria's new authorities torched a large stockpile of drugs on Wednesday, two security officials told AFP, including one million pills of captagon, whose industrial-scale production flourished under ousted president Bashar al-Assad.

Captagon is a banned amphetamine-like stimulant that became Syria's largest export during the country's more than 13-year civil war, effectively turning it into a narco state under Assad.

"We found a large quantity of captagon, around one million pills," said a balaclava-wearing member of the security forces, who asked to be identified only by his first name, Osama, and whose khaki uniform bore a "public security" patch.

An AFP journalist saw forces pour fuel over and set fire to a cache of cannabis, the painkiller tramadol, and around 50 bags of pink and yellow captagon pills in a security compound formerly belonging to Assad's forces in the capital's Kafr Sousa district.

Captagon has flooded the black market across the region in recent years.

"The security forces of the new government discovered a drug warehouse as they were inspecting the security quarter," said another member of the security forces, who identified himself as Hamza.

Authorities destroyed the stocks of alcohol, cannabis, captagon and hashish in order to "protect Syrian society" and "cut off smuggling routes used by Assad family businesses", he added.

- Manufacturing sites -

Since an opposition alliance toppled Assad on December 8 after a lightning offensive, Syria's new authorities have said massive quantities of captagon have been found in former government sites around the country, including security branches.

AFP journalists in Syria have seen fighters from the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group set fire to what they said were stashes of captagon found at facilities once operated by Assad's forces.

Security force member Hamza confirmed Wednesday that "this is not the first initiative of its kind -- the security services, in a number of locations, have found other warehouses... and drug manufacturing sites and destroyed them in the appropriate manner".

Maher al-Assad, a military commander and the brother of Bashar al-Assad, is widely accused of being the power behind the lucrative captagon trade.

Experts believe Syria's former leader used the threat of drug-fueled unrest to put pressure on Arab governments.

Jordan in recent years has cracked down on the smuggling of weapons and drugs including captagon along its 375-kilometer (230-mile) border with Syria.