Turkey to Work for Syrian Migrants to Return Home Safely, Minister Says

Turkey will work for the safe and voluntary return home of the Syrian migrants it hosts and will help in the reconstruction of Syria after President Bashar al-Assad’s sudden ouster by rebels, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Monday.

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Turkey, which said it gave no support and had no involvement in the offensive by the Syrian opposition forces it has backed for years against Assad, said on Sunday it wanted the new Syrian administration to be inclusive and for Syrians to determine their own future.

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He added that Ankara would stand with Syrians in this “new phase” in Damascus but groups like Islamic State and Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) that Ankara regards as terrorist organisations must not benefit from the situation.

NATO member Turkey hosts some 3 million Syrian migrants and refugees, making it the biggest host of Syrians who have fled the civil war. {snip}

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