"The Turkish policy, and the failure of the Turkish authorities to comply with the agreements with the Russian side on the Syrian de-escalation zone indicate Turkey's cooperation with the illegal armed groups. Turkey has ambitions of the Ottoman Empire, the ruling Justice and Development Party is trying to expand its borders at the expense of Syrian lands, which caused a sharp protest from the Syrian people," Susan said at a briefing dedicated to the results of 2020 on holding humanitarian actions and restoring peaceful life in Syria.
Susan added that on the other hand, the US presence remained the main political reason for the escalation of the conflict in Syria, with its economic pressure holding back the country's post-war reconstruction and preventing Syrians from returning to normal life.
Speaking during the briefing, Hassan Suleiman, the head of the Syrian army’s political department, said that given the tough economic blockade, Syria would have to rely on its own potential in the fight against illegal armed groups and the reconstruction of the country, adding that Russian Armed Forces provided great support to the Syrian Arab Army in the fight against terrorism, as well as in ensuring the security of the liberated areas.
The war in Syria began in 2011 and in 2015, Russia deployed troops to Syria at the request of the Syrian government to help it fight terrorists. In an interview with Sputnik, Syrian President Bashar Assad described Russia’s deployment of troops as a turning point in the Syrian war, as it made possible the liberation of Aleppo and Syria’s south and east.
