Turkiye urges inclusion, fair treatment of minorities in post-Assad Syria | Syrian War News

Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan emphasizes the importance of national unity and sovereignty after the fall of Bashar al-Assad's government.

Doha, Qatar – Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said that the takeover of the opposition group in Syria should not be a threat to its neighbors as he emphasized that help is needed to rebuild the country.

Speaking at a press conference at the Doha Forum on Sunday, hours after the opposition seized Damascus and declared the end of President Bashar al-Assad's regime, Fidan said all minorities in Syria “must be treated equally”.

“The goal of integration must never be in jeopardy. There should never be a desire for revenge,” he told reporters.

“It is time for us to unite and rebuild the country,” he asserted.

In addition, Fidan asked the Syrian opposition to assure their neighbors that the country will not be dangerous.

“On the contrary, the new Syria will deal with existing problems, it will eliminate threats,” he said.

Syria's war began as an unarmed uprising against al-Assad in March 2011, but has turned into an all-out war that has drawn international attention, killed hundreds of thousands of people and turned millions into refugees.

The fall of Damascus comes after a lightning offensive that began late last month saw opposition forces seize a number of key cities.

Crowds of people gathered in the streets of Damascus and other parts of the country to celebrate the fall of al-Assad, whose whereabouts are unknown.

Fidan called on all relevant parties inside and outside Syria to act “wisely and calmly”, while urging them to avoid decisions that could further destabilize the region.

Responding to a question about al-Assad's whereabouts, Fidan said he could not comment on the matter but added that it is possible that the Syrian leader is no longer in the country.

He also criticized him for failing to “reconcile” the Syrian people.

“Since 2016, through the Astana process, we have reduced the situation and stopped the war. However, the state did not use this opportunity to reconcile with its people,” he said.

Still, Fidan said Syria had reached a point where its people could “shape the future of their country” and that millions of Syrians who fled the war could now return.

“Today there is hope,” he said, noting that the Syrian people could not achieve this alone. “The international community must support the Syrian people.”

Turkey hosts around three million Syrian refugees, according to official figures.