ISTANBUL

Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa on Thursday rejected calls for separation or federalism in Syria, saying the coastal region remains a “priority” for his administration.

“We are focused on protecting the country from internal and external risks and on economic development,” Sharaa told a meeting in Latakia via video conference.

Protests erupted in several cities and towns in Latakia, Hama, Deir ez-Zor, and Quneitra on Tuesday in a show of support for Syria’s unity and territorial integrity following calls for federalism in the country.

The protests came one day after two security officers and several civilians were injured by gunfire from a neighborhood inhabited by officers linked to the former regime of Bashar al-Assad.

Sharaa described calls for separation or federalism as “an expression of political ignorance” and serving narrow interests.

Syria stands at “a historic juncture that affects the entire region,” he warned, saying that Damascus “has taken major steps and achieved significant progress this year.”

Syria has “surpassed the danger stage through the policies adopted by the state and the popular engagement from all components of Syrian society,” he said.

“Syrian geography lives as one, and it is impossible for the coastal region to have an authority of its own isolated from the rest.”

The Syrian coast “is a priority because it overlooks global and international trade routes,” Sharaa said.

Syria’s coastal region saw a spate of coordinated attacks by Assad loyalists, leaving several security personnel killed and injured. Subsequent security sweeps restored stability.

The Syrian leader stressed that the coastal region represents “a very strong economic link between Syria and all countries of the region.”

It possesses qualities that “prove national unity inside Syria is strong and that sectarian diversity enriches the state,” he said.

Sharaa called on all Syrians to “think with a strategic mindset and long-term goals,” stressing that “narrow views do not build the country at all.”