Erdogan: Turkey will stay in Syria until the 'people are free'
The Turkish president's comments follow parliamentary elections in Syria over the weekend that critics described as a farce.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Tuesday that Turkish forces would stay in Syria, where they are backing the opposition fighting the country’s longtime dictator Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, until peace is restored.
“Until the Syrian people are free, peaceful and safe, we will remain in this country,” Erdogan said during a speech Tuesday, according to Turkish news outlet Ahval.
Turkey supports some of the armed rebel groups fighting Assad's government. Earlier this year, the Turkish government sent thousands of troops to Syria's northwest to stave off a Russian-backed regime offensive on rebel-held Idlib.
The government’s campaign sent hundreds of thousands fleeing toward the locked Turkish border, which has remained closed for years to most Syrian refugees. Turkey already hosts some 3.6 million Syrians and is keen to avoid another refugee crisis on its doorstep.
