Syria’s new leader Ahmed al-Shareh has said that his administration will work to protect religious and ethnic minorities, stressing the importance of coexistence in the multinational and multi-religious country, AFP reports .
“We are making efforts to protect religious beliefs and minority rights from any conflicts between them, as well as from external forces trying to use the situation to provoke splits,” al-Shareh said at a joint press conference with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan.
Ahmed al-Shareh stressed that “Syria is a country for everyone, and we must learn to live together in peace”.
Hakan Fidan, for his part, welcomed the “victory” achieved through the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime, noting that this victory belongs exclusively to the Syrian people.
“Dear sisters and brothers, this victory is yours, not someone else’s. Thanks to your sacrifices, Syria has been given a historic chance,” the minister stressed.
Fidan also announced plans to visit Damascus in the near future to meet with the country’s new leadership.
These events were part of significant changes in Syria’s political life. On 12 December, Bashar al-Assad’s regime officially fell, and shortly afterwards, Turkish intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin visited Damascus. He was spotted at the Grand Umayyad Mosque, accompanied by security guards, as reported by Turkish television NTV.
Turkey, which has supported the Syrian opposition since the beginning of the civil war in 2011, remains an important ally of the Syrian people. The country also continues to host millions of Syrian refugees and support opposition forces, strengthening its role in the region.
