FM calls for immediate steps to address Syria's urgent needs

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan emphasized the importance of addressing Syria's pressing needs, including the return of refugees, institutional rebuilding and the restoration of basic public services.

"The urgent needs of the Syrian people cannot be delayed anymore, because we've got to get all the refugees back to Syria," Fidan said in an interview with Al Jazeera broadcast Wednesday.

"The basic services — health, transportation, food, education, communication — should be provided to the people, so the people can feel the normal life actually," he added.

Fidan noted that institutional collapse in Syria has left millions without access to essential services, worsening the humanitarian crisis.

"What we are seeing in Syria today is the breakdown of a functioning state, where even basic services like health care and education have been disrupted," he said.

He responded to claims about Türkiye's role in the regime change in Syria, referencing comments by U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, who described the incident as "an unfriendly takeover."

"Well, I think first of all, let me say this: We wouldn't call it a takeover, because it would be a grave mistake to present what's been happening in Syria. For the Syrian people, it is not a takeover. I think if there is any takeover, it's the will of the Syrian people which is taking over now," he said.

Fidan stressed that Türkiye's role in Syria is not about domination but about cooperation.

"The lessons we have learned from the region are clear. Domination culture has done nothing but fuel instability and suffering," he said, indicating that "cooperation and solidarity must be our guiding principles moving forward."

The Turkish minister, drawing on his...