Turkey’s ruling party says Syrian regime forces do not control Mount Turkmen

The Deputy Chairman of Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) has denied media reports claiming that Mount Turkmen near Latakia has been seized by troops loyal to the Syrian regime. Selçuk Özdağ told Anadolu news agency that the Syrian Turkmen are fighting Daesh and regime forces at the same time.

The Turkish authorities have been providing assistance to all those fleeing the killing and destruction in Syria regardless of their religious or ethnic affiliations, Özdağ stressed. He explained that Turkey has spent more than $8 billion since the beginning of the Syrian conflict to help those displaced and other refugees.

The AKP official criticised what he said were efforts by some parties to exploit the situation on the ground in Mount Turkmen to launch false claims that Turkey has failed to protect the people in that area. “Turkey is a powerful country and can provide all kinds of support to the Turkmen there,” he insisted.

Commenting on intensive Russian raids on Mount Turkmen and the subsequent partial progress by the Syrian regime forces in the region, Özdağ pointed out that the Turkish leadership has contacted Moscow to protest against such operations.