People in northern Syria protest against Turkish call for reconciliation with Syrian regime

People in northwestern Syria on Friday, August 12, protested against reconciliation with Syrian regime, near Turkish checkpoint in the town of Ihsem in Jabal al-Zawiya. The protesters denounced statements made by Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, who disclosed a conversation he had with Syrian Foreign Minister, Faisal Miqdad, in Non-Aligned Movement meeting in October 2021 in Serbian capital Belgrade. Protesters reiterated their adherence to demands to overthrow Syrian regime, which killed one million Syrians, arrested hundreds of thousands, and displaced millions, according to the banners they held and slogans they chanted during the protest. Activists used on social media sites hashtag “WeWillNotReconcile” to express rejection of reconciliation. Military officials with opposition factions had previously issued statements rejecting reconciliation with the regime. In an attempt to ease public fury over Cavusoglu’s statements, Turkish Foreign Ministry today, Friday, issued a statement, holding Syrian regime accountable for obstructing the political process. Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman, Tango Bilgic, noted in the statement that issues expressed yesterday by Turkish Foreign Minister indicated that the obstruction is related to the regime’s failure to provide protection to millions of Syrians.