Türkiye persuaded Russia and Iran to abandon Assad during Syrian uprising - Foreign Minister
Photo: Hakan Fidan, Turkish Foreign Minister (x.com/HakanFidan)
Türkiye reportedly convinced Russia and Iran not to support Syrian President Bashar al-Assad during the recent uprising. Therefore, his regime was toppled, stated Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, according to ntv.
Fidan noted that Assad's regime had been extremely weak over the past two to three years. When the uprising began, the priority was to prevent Russia from interfering in the situation.
"The Iranian Foreign Minister came, and we met with the Russians and Iranians in Doha to discuss some issues. If the regime had been supported, it could have turned very bloody. The Russians and Iranians realized that it was pointless to continue. At some point, they made a phone call, and Assad left that very evening," Fidan claimed.
The Turkish Foreign Minister said that Türkiye paved the way for a bloodless uprising in Syria.
Russia is Assad's ally
Russia has historically supported Bashar al-Assad's regime in Syria, securing its interests. In particular, Moscow had the only naval base on the Mediterranean in Syria.
Political expert Taras Zahorodnii noted in a commentary on RBC-Ukraine's YouTube channel that Russia could create instability in the Middle East through its presence in Syria and thus cause oil prices to rise.
Meanwhile, Türkiye benefited from Assad's fall and openly supported the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham rebel group. Chief editor of Luchshee Radio, Tzvi Silber, told more about Türkiye's interests in Syria in a commentary to RBC-Ukraine's YouTube channel.
