Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan emphasized the importance of Turkey's involvement in Syria on Wednesday, describing it as a natural and justified action based on legitimate and humanitarian grounds.

"We cannot view a neighboring country, with which we share centuries-old brotherhood and a 911-kilometer border, through the same lens as Western nations," Erdogan remarked. The leader identified the Kurdish militant group People's Defense Units (YPG) as the most significant issue Damaskus faces, accusing the group of occupying nearly one-third of the country's territory and exploiting its natural resources.

He called on all foreign forces to withdraw from the region, warning Israel to "end aggressive actions at once," and stressed Ankara's readiness to combat terrorist groups alongside Syrian allies.