The protests took place around Idlib and Aleppo, among others, according to a spokesman for the regional civil protection. The areas are not under the control of the Syrian government. Many people there see Ankara as a protective power.
With chants and banners, the demonstrators spoke out against reconciliation between the two governments. “I was deported and lost three of my children in the regime’s prisons,” one participant at a rally near Aleppo told the German news agency.
After a long diplomatic ice age, the defense ministers of Turkey and Syria met in Moscow a week ago to discuss ways to find a solution in the country’s civil war. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu also participated in the talks.
Russia supports President Bashar al-Assad in the Syrian civil war, while Turkey is on the side of the rebels. Ankara had broken diplomatic relations with Damascus, but recently expressed its will for rapprochement. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had also brought up meeting with Assad, whom he described as a “murderer” in the past.
Erdogan is under pressure in his own country because the mood in the country towards the Syrian refugees has deteriorated considerably. About 3.7 million Syrians live in Turkey. Ankara is eager to send people back to their homeland. According to the Turkish and Russian defense ministries, the refugees were also a problem in the trilateral negotiations in Moscow.
After nearly 12 years of civil war in Syria, Assad’s government forces have regained control of about two-thirds of the country. In addition to Russia, the ruler is also supported by Iran. Turkey occupies areas in northern Syria.
(SDA)