By Hatice Kesgin
ISTANBUL (AA) – All parties in Syria should come together for a political transition period, but Syrian regime leader Bashar al-Assad cannot be involved in a lasting peace, Turkey’s prime minister said Saturday.
“Today, the U.S. and Russia also know that Assad does not appear to be a unifier in the long term. [However] by sitting together, [and] talking, a transition could be ensured peacefully,” Prime Minister Binali Yildirim told foreign media representatives in Istanbul.
Yildirim said that Turkey wouldn’t object if Assad played a role during a possible transitional period but that Ankara cannot accept him for Syria's future.
The premier underlined that there is no place for Assad in Syria's future.
“Could Syria carry Assad in the long-term? Absolutely not," Yildirim said.
“Our thoughts: neither the PKK, nor Daesh nor Assad should be in Syria’s future, to ensure a lasting peace. However, whether we want him or not, Assad is one of the actors.”
Yildirim announced that Turkey will be more active in the coming six months to prevent more danger in the region and establish a lasting peace. He also insisted that Turkey will not let Syria be divided along ethnic and sectarian lines.
Syria has been wracked by conflict since early 2011, when the Assad regime cracked down on pro-democracy protests – which had erupted as part of that year’s "Arab Spring" uprisings – with unexpected ferocity.