Turkish Interior Minister says no change in Syrian policy

A day after the Turkish Foreign Minister signaled a U turn in Turkey's Syrian policy, which sparked protests in opposition-held areas in Syria, the Turkish minister confirmed in a tweet that Turkey would not abandon the people of Syria to the oppression of the Syrian regime.

Turkish FM said on Thursday: "We must find a way to reconcile the Syrian opposition with the Syrian regime. We can't have a lasting peace otherwise."

He also disclosed that he recently had a dialogue with his Syrian counterpart.

After protests erupted upon these remarks in north Syria in areas under Turkish occupation, resulting in the arrest of over 15 people who allegedly torched the Turkish national flag during demonstrations, Turkish Interior Minister made a statement on Twitter, saying:

"In north Syria they are trying to spread words that we never said. It is obvious that there are PKK/PYD SDG, the regime, and apparently provocateurs behind this plot. Turkey has never abandoned people who have been crushed under the oppression of the Syrian regime and the PYD, and it never will. It always stands to its humane principles, its friendship and good neighborliness."

The organizations referred to by Soylu are the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), who is part of the Global Coalition in the fight against the Islamic State, the pro-Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD), under the leadership of whom the Autonomous Administration of North and Syria (AANES) was established during the Syrian civil war, and the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), who according to Turkish officials the PYD has ties with.