Turkish FM Says Briefly Met with Syrian Counterpart in Belgrade

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu speaks during a news conference in Ankara, Turkey June 27, 2022. REUTERS/Cagla Gurdogan
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu speaks during a news conference in Ankara, Turkey June 27, 2022. REUTERS/Cagla Gurdogan
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Turkish FM Says Briefly Met with Syrian Counterpart in Belgrade

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu speaks during a news conference in Ankara, Turkey June 27, 2022. REUTERS/Cagla Gurdogan
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu speaks during a news conference in Ankara, Turkey June 27, 2022. REUTERS/Cagla Gurdogan

Turkey’s Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Thursday that he had a “brief conversation” with his Syrian counterpart Faisal Mekdad on the sidelines of the Non-Aligned Movement meeting in October in Serbia's capital Belgrade.

Cavusoglu made the remarks on Thursday while addressing reporters on the last day of the 13th Ambassadors Conference that was held in Turkey’s capital Ankara.

He said Russian President Vladimir Putin has long suggested that Turkey communicates directly with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

“There have been meetings between the intelligence services of the two countries for some time, and they have recently resumed and are tackling major issues.”

There is the regime and the opposition in Syria, the FM noted, adding that many people died and were displaced during the 11 years of war.

“No one can help in the reconstruction process without reaching a ceasefire,” he stressed, affirming that Turkey will intensify its efforts in this regard.

“We need to bring the opposition and regime together for reconciliation somehow, or there will be no permanent peace otherwise,” he told reporters.

Cavusoglu underscored the need for a strong will to prevent division in Syria, citing unity as the only mean to ensure the state’s control over the territory.

He ruled out the idea of a phone call between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Syrian counterpart anytime soon.

However, Turkiye Newspaper quoted well-informed sources on Tuesday as saying that a phone call may be held between the two leaders, based on a proposal raised by Putin during his meeting with Erdogan in Sochi last week.

Ahead of Friday’s Sochi Summit, Cavusoglu said Ankara was prepared to provide “unlimited political support” for the Syrian government to expel terrorists from northern Syria.

His remarks were in reference to the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG), which Ankara views as a terrorist group.

In May, Turkey announced that it would pursue a full-scale military campaign in northern Syria to complete the establishment of safe zones near its borders. The said zones would extend 30 kilometers deep in Syrian territory.



Hamdok Warns of Sudan’s Disintegration as War Escalates

Former Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok (Facebook)
Former Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok (Facebook)
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Hamdok Warns of Sudan’s Disintegration as War Escalates

Former Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok (Facebook)
Former Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok (Facebook)

Former Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok has issued a stark warning about the future of Sudan, cautioning that continued warfare could lead to the country’s fragmentation.

Speaking at the International Conference on Social Cohesion in Kampala on Wednesday, Hamdok stressed the futility of a military solution and called for urgent dialogue to halt the conflict.

The conference, held from May 17 to 21 in Uganda’s capital, gathered over 60 Sudanese figures to address the rising tide of hate speech and its threat to national unity.

Hamdok used the platform to unveil plans for a National Center to Combat Hate Speech, aimed at monitoring incitement, holding perpetrators accountable, and promoting peaceful coexistence.

He warned that Sudan is at risk of descending into chaos unless warring factions prioritize peace. “With increasing mobilization and fragmentation, the risk of collapse looms from every direction,” he said, urging both sides to take immediate steps to end the bloodshed.

Hamdok, who led Sudan’s transitional government following the 2019 uprising that toppled the former regime, described the country’s current state as “critical and fragile.”

He noted that the war has triggered severe social, political, and economic shifts, extending beyond the battlefield to manifest in exclusion, abuse, and the spread of violence and marginalization.

“The conflict has morphed from killing and displacement into deeper social wounds -acts of cruelty, exclusion, incitement, and horrific crimes,” he said. He stressed that these developments threaten the very fabric of Sudanese society.

Hamdok also raised alarm over the sharp rise in hate speech and what he called “new forms of social discrimination” based on ethnicity, gender, color, and geography. He stressed that Sudan’s diversity should be a source of strength, not division.

“Our diversity is one of our greatest assets,” he said. “But unity can only be achieved through social peace and strengthened ties across religious, ethnic, and regional lines.”

Calling on religious leaders, tribal elders, youth, intellectuals, artists, and women, Hamdok urged a united front to restore peaceful coexistence and resist the spread of hatred.

He pledged to work with communities affected by divisive rhetoric and announced the launch of media campaigns to criminalize hate speech and promote national solidarity.

“The media landscape has become saturated with messages inciting violence and discrimination. No region has been spared,” Hamdok warned. “We must dismantle the platforms of hate and build a culture of mutual respect.”