The Syrian jihadist leader and the Turkish Foreign Minister declare their friendship in a historic meeting in Damascus

MADRID Dec. 22 () –

The jihadist leader of Syria, Abu Mohamed al Golani, and the Turkish Foreign Minister, Hakan Fidan, have endorsed the ties of friendship between both countries during a historic meeting in the Syrian capital, Damascus, the first of a senior official of the Government of Ankara since the outbreak of the Syrian civil war and after the fall two weeks ago of the deposed former Syrian president, Bashar al Assad.

“The friendly country Turkey has supported the Syrian people since the beginning of the revolution,” Al Golani declared in the press conference after the meeting with Fidan, representative of a country that is playing a fundamental role in Syria, as a patron of Syrian opposition groups and protagonist of a military campaign against Kurdish militias in the country that links with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, which Ankara declares a terrorist group.

Fidan has greeted the jihadist leader with the message that Turkey “is legitimately proud to be on the right side of history” and justified his visit because Ankara “is on the side” of the opposition to Al Assad.

Fidan has confirmed that the security situation has taken a predominant place in the meeting. “We cannot sit idly by. Security in Syria must be established now,” he warned before ensuring once again that “there is no place” for either the PKK or the militias of the People’s Protection Units (YPG). Syrians who protect him.

“The PKK/YPG must be dissolved as soon as possible,” stated the Foreign Minister, who has also requested, once again, the lifting of the sanctions of the European Union and the United States on the former Syrian regime to facilitate the period of transition.

“The Turkish people, the Turkish State and the president of the country, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, will always support the Syrian people,” the minister reiterated before recognizing the “great challenges” that lie ahead in a country “where half of the population is still out and the economic infrastructure has collapsed” due to years of conflict.