At a time when Ankara is seeking to restore relations with Damascus, Turkish presidential adviser Yassin Aktay, speaking about the return of Syrian refugees to his country, called for the return of Aleppo to Turkish control.
Turkish media reported that Aktay, who is an adviser to the president of the Justice and Development Party, made an interesting call regarding the ruling party’s efforts to restore diplomatic relations with Syria after years of estrangement.
Speaking on Olki TV, Aktay said: “At that time, Turkey intervened in Aleppo to prevent major massacres. If Turkey had not intervened, very catastrophic massacres would have occurred.”
“I think this is what Turkey should demand,” Aktay added. “Aleppo should be handed over to Turkish control.”
Aktay indicated that this situation should be temporarily guaranteed, and if this is done, about 2 million Syrians will be able to return voluntarily.
The announcement came days after Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party spokesman Omar Celik announced that a meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Syrian counterpart Bashar al-Assad was on the agenda.
Source: Turkish media