Turkish Diplomat Denies Erdoğan Discussed Annexing Syrian Cities

A Turkish diplomatic source stated on Saturday that President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan did not speak about annexing Syrian cities to Turkey, according to the German News Agency.

The source told Russia’s Sputnik News Agency that “the president’s speech focused on the fact that Ankara cannot sever ties with residents of Syrian cities simply because these areas lie beyond Turkey’s borders.”

Earlier reports from various media outlets claimed that Erdoğan had announced intentions to annex several Syrian cities and reconsider the borders established after World War II, as reported by Sputnik.

During a speech at the 8th Congress of the Justice and Development Party (AKP) in Turkey’s Sakarya province, Erdoğan asserted that “the Syrian people have overthrown the oppressive Baath regime and will cleanse all other regions of terrorist organizations.”