ISTANBUL

The Turkish president on Thursday accused Israel of using Syria’s Druze population as a pretext for aggression, vowing that Türkiye would never allow the fragmentation of Syria.

“We did not consent to fragmentation of Syria yesterday, and we will certainly not consent to it today or tomorrow,” Recep Tayyip Erdogan said after a Cabinet meeting in the Turkish capital, Ankara.

“Israel has been using Druze as an excuse to move its banditry into neighboring Syria for the past two days,” Erdogan further said.

Those who rely on Israel will sooner or later realize they have made a major miscalculation, warned the Turkish leader.

"Israel is a lawless, rule-breaking, unprincipled, arrogant, spoiled, and bloodthirsty terrorist state," he underlined.

“A stable Syria will generate stability for all neighboring countries; otherwise, everyone will bear the burden of this,” stated Erdogan.

"Those who seek a secure future through oppression and massacres should never forget this: they are merely passersby; we are the innkeepers. We are the ones who truly belong to this land.

“We are closely monitoring all developments in Syria, maintaining communication with our counterparts, and will continue to do so,” said the Turkish president.

Türkiye's fundamental policy is to preserve the territorial integrity, national unity, unitary structure, and multicultural identity of Syria, according to Erdogan.

"Through our honorable foreign policy, peace efforts, and diplomatic engagements, Türkiye stands on the side of peace," said Erdogan, adding. “We bear no ill will toward anyone, nor envy or hostility. We do not infringe on anyone's rights, laws, or sovereignty; we only want peace.”