Türkiye Prepared to Hand over Syrian Regions under its Control to Regime

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu speaks during a joint press conference with his Swedish counterpart in Ankara on December 22, 2022. (AFP)
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu speaks during a joint press conference with his Swedish counterpart in Ankara on December 22, 2022. (AFP)
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Türkiye Prepared to Hand over Syrian Regions under its Control to Regime

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu speaks during a joint press conference with his Swedish counterpart in Ankara on December 22, 2022. (AFP)
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu speaks during a joint press conference with his Swedish counterpart in Ankara on December 22, 2022. (AFP)

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu revealed on Thursday that his country was prepared to hand over Syrian regions under its control to the Syrian regime “should political stability be established.”

Speaking to the press, he stressed that Türkiye has repeatedly said it was ready to hand over power in areas it is deployed in Syria to Damascus once political stability is reached.

He made his remarks shortly after a meeting between the Turkish, Syrian and Russian defense ministers in Moscow.

Cavusoglu spoke of the possibility of joint work in the future between Ankara and Damascus should common ground be reached between them over fighting terrorism.

Moreover, he stressed that Türkiye respects Syria’s unity and territorial integrity.

Earlier this month, Russia had proposed during a consultative meeting in Istanbul the withdrawal of the Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) from Manbij and Ain al-Arab in northern Syria. The regime would replace the SDF while the Kurdish security forces, Asayish, would remain and be incorporated in the regime forces.

The proposal is in line with Türkiye’s demand for the establishment of a buffer zone 30 kilometers deep into Syrian territory.

Cavusoglu said on Thursday that the United States and some European countries are opposed to the dialogue and rapprochement between Ankara and Damascus because they support the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) that Türkiye views as terrorist.



UN Seeks $6 Billion to Ease Hunger Catastrophe in Sudan

Displaced Sudanese, who fled the Zamzam camp, gather near the town of Tawila in North Darfur on February 14, 2025. (AFP)
Displaced Sudanese, who fled the Zamzam camp, gather near the town of Tawila in North Darfur on February 14, 2025. (AFP)
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UN Seeks $6 Billion to Ease Hunger Catastrophe in Sudan

Displaced Sudanese, who fled the Zamzam camp, gather near the town of Tawila in North Darfur on February 14, 2025. (AFP)
Displaced Sudanese, who fled the Zamzam camp, gather near the town of Tawila in North Darfur on February 14, 2025. (AFP)

UN officials on Monday asked for $6 billion for Sudan this year from donors to help ease what they called the world's worst ever hunger catastrophe and the mass displacement of people brought on by civil war.

The UN appeal represents a rise of more than 40% from last year's for Sudan at a time when aid budgets around the world are under strain, partly due to a pause in funding announced by US President Donald Trump last month that has affected life-saving programs across the globe.

The UN says the funds are necessary because the impact of the 22-month war between Sudan's army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) - that has already displaced a fifth of its population and stoked severe hunger among around half its population - looks set to worsen.

World Food Program chief Cindy McCain, speaking via video to a room full of diplomats in Geneva, said: "Sudan is now the epicenter of the world's largest and most severe hunger crisis ever."

She did not provide figures, but Sudan's total population currently stands at about 48 million people. Among previous world famines, the Bengal Famine of 1943 claimed between 2 million and 3 million lives, according to several estimates, while millions are believed to have died in the Great Chinese Famine of 1959-61.

Famine conditions have been reported in at least five locations in Sudan, including displacement camps in Darfur, a UN statement said, and this was set to worsen with continued fighting and the collapse of basic services.

"This is a humanitarian crisis that is truly unprecedented in its scale and its gravity and it demands a response unprecedented in scale and intent," UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher said.

One of the famine-stricken camps was attacked by the RSF last week as the group tries to tighten its grip on its Darfur stronghold.

While some aid agencies say they have received waivers from Washington to provide aid in Sudan, uncertainty remains on the extent of coverage for providing famine relief.

The UN plan aims to reach nearly 21 million people within the country, making it the most ambitious humanitarian response so far for 2025, and requires $4.2 billion - the rest being for those displaced by the conflict.