This handout picture released by the Turkish Foreign Ministry press service shows Turkey's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan (L) being received by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, aka Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, in Damascus. AFP
“We are working to protect sects and minorities from any attacks, whether they come from within or external forces attempting to exploit the situation to stir sectarian discord,” al-Jolani stated.
“Syria is a country for all, and we must coexist peacefully.”
Sharaa also highlighted the significant challenges facing Syria, noting that "half of the Syrian population now lives outside the country, and the internal economic infrastructure is destroyed. We are dealing with serious issues that require urgent attention, which is why the sanctions imposed during Bashar al-Assad’s rule should be lifted."
Addressing the future of armed factions, Sharaa announced that these groups "will begin to dissolve and integrate into the national army," stressing that "we will not allow any weapons outside the control of the state, whether from the revolutionary factions or those in areas controlled by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), the Kurdish-led group."
* This story was edited by Ahram Online.
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