Erdogan: We are not forcing anyone to return to Syria

He claimed: "We will not forget the brutal crimes of Bashar al-Assad's regime against the Syrian people or the prisons, such as Sednaya, which this regime turned into human slaughterhouses. We will not forget the indifference of those who claim to be part of the civilized world toward the killing of civilians and innocents. Since the onset of the Syrian crisis, we have pursued a policy of supporting the oppressed."

Erdoğan said: "We will also not forget those who supported terrorist groups with thousands of truckloads of equipment under the pretense of fighting ISIS."

He claimed: "The sun of freedom in Syria rose after 61 years of oppression by the Ba'ath Party."

Erdoğan announced: "We will soon reopen our consulate in Aleppo. I thank Ahmad al-Sharaa, the leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, for his good leadership during this phase."

He then threatened the Syrian Kurds, stating: "They must either lay down their arms or be buried with their weapons in Syria."

The Turkish President emphasized: "Syria has suffered from years of war and cannot rise on its own; it needs the support of the Islamic world. We stand with the Syrian people with all our strength to help rebuild their country. We will confront all terrorist groups trying to exploit Syria's situation. ISIS is not only a threat to the West but also to us, Syria, and the region."

Erdoğan added: "We will assist Syrians who wish to return to their homeland, but we will not force anyone to do so."