Erdoğan urges Assad to find ‘political solution’ to Syria war

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Thursday called on Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad to urgently find a “political solution” to his country’s civil war, Agence France-Presse reported.

Syria, which has a long border with Turkey, has become a new focus of international concern since rebel forces last week took the second city of Aleppo from Assad’s troops.

“The Syrian regime must commit urgently with its people in favour of a global political solution,” Erdoğan said in a call with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, according to a statement released by the presidency.

Erdoğan, whose country has become home to about 3 million Syrian refugees since the war started in 2011, has held a number of discussions with other leaders on the crisis in recent days.

“Turkey has been striving to reduce tensions, protect civilians and open a political process and will continue to do so,” Erdoğan was quoted as saying in the statement.

Highlighting that the conflict has reached a “new stage,” Erdoğan said that “Turkey’s biggest wish is that Syria does not become embroiled in bigger instability and see even more civilian victims.”

Erdoğan was an outspoken critic of Assad for much of the war but has recently taken a more conciliatory line.