Al-Halqi to Turkish Media: Erdogan’s Government Involved in Supporting Terrorism in Syria

DAMASCUS, (ST) – The Turkish government’s blatant support for terrorism in Syria, the Syrian Arab Army’s role in confronting the Western schemes in the region, Geneva-2 conference and the Syrian government’s efforts to provide the basic needs of the displaced Syrian families which were affected by the armed terrorist groups acts, were main topics tackled by Prime Minister Wael al-Halqi in an interview with the Turkish Ulusal Channel.

About the involvement of the Recep Tayyib Erdogan-led Turkish government in terrorism in Syria, Prime Minister Wael al-Halqi stressed that “the ruling Justice and Development Party government under Erdogan keeps providing financial and logistic support to the terrorists and ensuring them the safe haven and route necessary to infiltrate into Syria and commit crimes against the Syrian people.” 

“The Turkish policies are still governed by Erdogan’s delusions to restore the days of the Ottoman Sultans and to put countries of the region under its control through being involved in implementing the US scheme in the region,” al-Halqi said.

He added that Erdogan’s slogans concerning Palestine, freedom, democracy and good neighborhood were proved to be false. His policies undermined Turkey’s relations with Syria, created troubles with all neighboring countries and reduced his popularity.

Syria is fighting world terrorism

The Prime Minister pointed out that “Syria nowadays is fighting international terrorism coming from more than 83 countries to destroy the Syrian state and commit horrible crimes and human rights violations against the Syrian people, but Syria continues with strong determination to fight it”

He affirmed that the Syrian Arab Army is the only guarantor for Syria’s unity, independence and sovereignty and the main front in facing the Western American scheme against the region, pointing out that this scheme has faced a deadlock thanks to the sacrifices of the army, the steadfastness of the Syrians and the support of friendly countries like Russia, China, Iran and the rest of BRICS states.

Al-Halqi referred to the failure of the US policy in the region urging it to reconsider its strategies and adopt dialogue to solve problems.

He asserted that the Syrian government will go to Geneva-2 conference without preconditions to hold dialogue with the “opposition” and on the other hand it rejects any kind of preconditions by the other side, noting that the determination of Syria’s political future is an exclusive right to the Syrian people.

“From the very beginning, the Syrian government chose the political solution as a way out of the crisis and it held several meetings with political and social parties within the framework of the plan to implement the political program for settlement,” al-Halqi said, stressing that the meetings resulted in a settlement formula included the establishment of a national unity government that holds parliamentary elections.

He added that Western and regional powers have placed obstacles to hinder the implementation of the political program and prevented the “opposition” from accepting any political initiative for settlement. 

About the reforms, al-Halqi said that the government was pressing ahead with implementing an all-out reform process when the crisis began, but it was slow due to the external pressures and the serious challenges in the region.

“The government was open to meeting the demands of the protestors and the internal opposition who didn’t respond positively as they thought delusively that the Syrian state will collapse within weeks under foreign pressure as what happened in other countries,” the premier added.

Political, military, economic and media war against Syria

Al-Halqi affirmed that Syria is being targeted by a terrorist war with political, military, economic and media dimensions aiming to destroy its infrastructure, schools, universities, as well as health and pharmaceutical facilities. He pointed out that 721 factories in Aleppo valued at SYP196 billion were destroyed after their equipment were stolen and smuggled to Turkey with the full knowledge of Erdogan’s government.

He referred to the great loss of the Syrian industrial sector which is estimated at SYP 342 billion, affirming the Syrian government’s determination to revive and reactive this sector so as to meet the Syrians’ needs and confront the Western embargo which has added more suffering to the Syrians.

On the Syrian government’s efforts to provide shelters and basic needs to displaced citizens, al-Halqi said more than 930 temporary housing centers were established to shelter terrorism-affected people.

The government has been keen to provide the displaced with basic needs including food and medicine, al-Halqi said, pointing out that   a sum of SYP 50 billion was allocated from the 2014 budget to compensate the people affected by terrorism.

He added that the government also keeps urging the displaced Syrians in the refugee camps in neighboring countries to return home promising them to facilitate the procedures necessary for this purpose.

He also stressed that the Syrian government steadfastly continues to pay the wages of the state employees and carry on its support for the sectors of electricity, oil and basic food supplies.

H. Mustafa