Syrian Coalition Welcomes Turkey’s Airstrikes Against ISIS

Press Statement "Original in Arabic"

Khaled Khoja

President of the Syrian Coalition

July 25, 2015

The Syrian Coalition welcomes Turkey’s military operations initiative against ISIS near the Syrian border in an effort to fight the forces of terror claiming the lives of thousands of Syrians. This move comes while many sides, particularly the Assad regime, seek to export terrorism outside the Syrian border and threaten the security of the neighbouring region.

Though terrorism has various forms and many tools, the Assad regime remains the primary sponsor of terror forces as it carries out its criminal policies in collaboration with several extremist organizations that adopt the same repressive policies.

The Syrian Coalition stresses once again that re-stabilizing the region requires countering terrorism and tackling its root causes. It crucial to take into account the key role played by the Assad regime in supporting extremist organizations in an attempt to survive, giving the fact that 88% of ISIS military activity was directed against the Syrian people in stark concordance with the regime's policies.

The Syrian people refuse making Syrian territory a hotbed of organizations designated under the terror list, nor do they accept using Syrian territories as a springboard to destabilize neighbouring countries.

Turkey has sided with the Syrian people and their legitimate demands since the beginning, demands that they continue to repeat to the international community and neighboring countries through their continued revolution. The Syrian Coalition has long warned of the threats the Assad regime imposes and of the consequences of its survival on Syria and the region as a whole.