Published on Wednesday, Syrian President Bashar Assad criticized Turkey, attributing the recent escalation of violence in his war-ravaged nation to Ankara’s actions, and emphatically called for the complete withdrawal of Turkish forces from Syria.

Assad’s statements were made during an interview with Sky News Arabia, marking his first engagement with a foreign media outlet in months.

While the interview is set to be broadcast in its entirety later on Wednesday, Sky News Arabia has released select excerpts in advance, the Associated Press reports.

Turkey has been a prominent supporter of armed opposition factions striving to oust Assad from his position. Since 2016, Turkey has conducted three significant military operations in northern Syria and controls portions of the region.

Assisted by Russia and Iran, Assad has succeeded in regaining control over the majority of Syrian territory in recent years, shifting the course of the conflict in his favor.

Currently, Syrian rebels and opposition groups backed by Turkey maintain a limited hold over a small northwestern section of Syria, which continues to experience ongoing fighting and unrest.

Written by staff