Ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) MP Huseyin Yayman discussed recent developments in Syria, emphasizing that the country “will never become like Afghanistan, but it also won’t be Norway.”
He pointed to emerging leadership in Syria and the practical governance in areas like Idlib, underscoring a system in which women and children can attend school freely and diverse opinions are respected.
As neighboring Türkiye closely watches Syria’s trajectory, any form of oppression—regardless of sect—remains a critical issue for Turkish policymakers.
Emerging leadership: Yayman referenced newly installed Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, whose administration in Idlib, he said, has allowed women and children to attend school and safeguard personal freedoms.
Avoiding extremes: While Syria will not devolve into an Afghanistan-like scenario, Yayman said it likewise cannot achieve the stability and prosperity of a country like Norway anytime soon.
Türkiye’s stance: Yayman recalled that Türkiye consistently opposed the atrocities committed by the Assad regime, particularly against Sunni communities in Damascus and Aleppo. He affirmed that Ankara would also speak out against any oppression of Alawites or Druze if such abuses occurred in areas like Tartus, Latakia, or Dera.
People walk under an independence-era flag in the Hamidiyah covered market near the Umayyad mosque in the old city of Damascus on December 19, 2024. (AFP Photo)
A Russian navy ship is pictured in the Mediterranean Sea off the port city of Tartus in western Syria on December 17, 2024. - Islamist-led rebels took Damascus in a lightning offensive on December 8, ousting president Bashar al-Assad and ending five decades of Baath rule in Syria. (Photo by Bakr ALKASEM / AFP)
A portrait of Syria's President Bashar al-Assad is displayed in the old city of Syria's capital Damascus on December 6, 2024. - Rebel forces pressing a lightning offensive in Syria aim to overthrow President Bashar al-Assad's rule, their Islamist leader said in an interview published on December 6. In little over a week, the offensive has seen Syria's second city Aleppo and strategically located Hama fall from Assad's control for the first time since the civil war began in 2011. (Photo by LOUAI BESHARA / AFP)
Broader context
Türkiye’s concern over Syria’s future governance model highlights the importance of stability in a region that has witnessed years of conflict.
For Ankara, ensuring that no community is subjected to persecution remains paramount, as it directly affects regional security, refugee flows and diplomatic relations with the new Syrian leadership.
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