Addressing AK Party's parliamentary group, President Erdoğan said: "Those, who want Turkiye to stand idly by while numerous powers that have turned Syria into a bloodbath roam free in the region are also the ones who plan to spread the crisis into our lands."

"We have never allowed anyone to do so, and we never will. We will defend to the end the rights of both ourselves and our Syrian brothers and sisters," he added.

President and AK Party Chairman Recep Tayyip Erdoğan delivered a speech at a parliamentary group meeting of AK Party.

"In the last 16 years, Turkiye has grown by 3.5 times. And we will make sure Turkiye reaches its goals for 2023," President Erdoğan said.

"We recently have been gaining significant achievements on the Syrian issue. We have to resolutely address this issue because of the 3.5 million refugees in our country and the serious security threats it causes along our borders, and also for our political and economic future," President Erdoğan underlined.

"Those, who want Turkiye to stand idly by while numerous powers that have turned Syria into a bloodbath roam free in the region, are also the ones who plan to spread the crisis into our lands," said President Erdoğan.

"We have never allowed anyone to do so, and we never will. We will defend to the end the rights of both ourselves and our Syrian brothers and sisters," President Erdoğan underscored.

"Turkiye and the U.S., for a long time, had different approaches to the Syrian issue, which saddened us as a strategic partner," President Erdoğan said.

Recalling that the promises given to Turkiye during the Obama administration weren't kept and that the U.S. was in league with the PYD/YPG, President Erdoğan said: "Such problematic issues poisoned our relationship."

"After Mr. Trump came into power, we waited for a long time for his previously-declared approaches to be put into practice on the ground. During that period, we completed our plans for a military operation in line with our own policies," President Erdoğan noted.

"Mr. Trump told us in a very clear and explicit way that the U.S. would withdraw all her troops from Syria and leave the fight against the remnants of DAESH to Turkiye."

Stating that they, on their part, reminded Trump of Turkiye's close combat during Operation Euphrates Shield, President Erdoğan noted that combatting DAESH is their top priority.

"The fact that the people in the administration, who did not approach favorably to the positive course of our relations with the U.S. with regard to Syria, were replaced further boosted our hopes. Therefore, we put our military operation on hold." President Erdoğan elaborated.

"However, certain posts on Mr. Trump's personal social media account yesterday saddened me and my colleagues. We acted at once. Last night, I discussed these issues with him over the phone. It was a very positive conversation," said President Erdoğan.

Stating that Trump reaffirmed his decision to withdraw the U.S. troops from Syria President Erdoğan added that Trump also mentioned a 20-mile-deep safe zone along Turkiye's borders to be established by Turkiye.

"In my conversation with U.S. President Trump, I particularly underscored that our priority in Syria is to effectively combat DAESH and other terrorist organizations," President Erdoğan noted.

"I also told him that the PYD/YPG oppress all groups, Arabs, Kurds, Turkmens and Christians alike, that do not submit to them."

"We also agreed to take swift and comprehensive steps toward our goal to increase our bilateral trade volume up to $75 billion," President Erdoğan said.

"I would like to correct a mistake that has been voiced for a while now. Turkiye is the state of everyone who lives in this country, of all our brothers and sisters whether they be Turkish, Kurdish or Arab. That is not all. Turkiye is also the state of everyone to the heart of whom it is dear, first and foremost of our Kurdish brothers and sisters living right beside our borders," President Erdoğan said. (ILKHA)