Syrians queue up to buy ice cream at the Hamidiyeh Souq in the Syrian capital Damascus, on December 9, 2024. Islamist-led rebels declared on December 8, that they have taken the Syrian capital in a lightning offensive, sending President Bashar al-Assad fleeing and ending five decades of Baath rule in Syria. (Photo by AAREF WATAD / AFP)
Turkey has started providing communication and logistics support to various countries, mainly in Europe, that want to help their citizens safely leave Syria following the ousting of President Bashar al-Assad, the Voice of America Turkish edition reported.
According to VOA, Turkey is assisting citizens of third countries in their quiet departure from Syria to mitigate the risk of potential hostage situations on the ground.
The Turkish government and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan have long been supporters of the Syrian opposition that finally toppled Assad on December 8 after the civil war erupted in 2011.
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan reportedly told his European counterparts in phone conversations, especially after the capture of Damascus by the rebel groups on December 8, that Turkey is ready to offer help to get their citizens in Syria home through Turkey.
Unlike Turkey’s previous public support for the evacuation of foreign nationals from Lebanon during clashes between Israel and Hezbollah in October, there has been no public statement regarding the situation in Syria to avoid creating any security risks for those involved.
Sources from the Defense Ministry also confirmed that similar to Turkey’s support for humanitarian aid operations using military ships in Lebanon, the country is prepared to provide the necessary military vehicles and personnel if an aid operation is needed in Syria.
Requests for assistance from religious organizations in Syria that have security concerns regarding their faith groups or personnel have also been communicated to Turkey through foreign embassies or representatives.
The Italian Embassy in Ankara confirmed that it is in contact with Turkey regarding its citizens in Syria and is collaborating to ensure their safety. However, the embassy refrained from disclosing specifics about the cities involved or the number of Italians being assisted in order to protect its citizens in Syria.