Turkey to remain in Syria until its people are ‘safe & free’ – Erdogan

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has vowed to maintain a military presence in neighboring Syria until its people become "safe and free," criticizing parliamentary elections held in the war-torn country.

"Nowadays they are holding an election, a so-called election," Erdogan said while speaking in Ankara on Tuesday.

Until the Syrian people are free, peaceful and safe, we will remain in this country.

Parliamentary elections were held across government-controlled areas of Syria on Sunday. Initially scheduled for April, the polls have been postponed twice due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

So far, the results of the elections have not been announced. The polls will be held again in five electoral districts – out of more than 7,000 in total – where gross violations were reported, Syria's authorities said on Monday.

Ankara has repeatedly interfered in the Syrian war, which has been going on for nearly a decade. Turkey launched several incursions on Syrian territory, targeting primarily Kurdish-led militias known as the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

Ankara believes the force to be heavily infiltrated with members of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which has long been waging a low-intensity insurgency against Turkish authorities. While Ankara maintains that it has the right to pursue "terrorists" in Syrian territory, Damascus views Turkey's activities as open aggression and an occupation of its soil.

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The latest military operation in support of the so-called "moderate" Syrian rebels was launched by Ankara early this year in the province of Idlib in the wake of a successful offensive by government troops. While the Turkish and Syrian militaries have been on the verge of an all-out war, direct confrontation has been avoided; Turkish-backed militias and Syrian government troops have entered a fragile ceasefire.

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