Turkish President Tayyip Erdoğan on Wednesday called Syrian President Bashar al-Assad a terrorist and said it was impossible for Syrian peace efforts to continue with him.
"Assad is definitely a terrorist who has carried out state terrorism. It is impossible to continue with Assad. How can we embrace the future with a Syrian president who has killed close to a million of his citizens?" Erdoğan told a televised news conference.
However, in November, Erdoğan did not rule out the possibility of future contacts with Syrian President Assad to counter the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG), which Ankara considers a terrorist organization associated with the armed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), banned in Turkey.
The YPG is the main element in a force that Washington has assisted with training, weapons, air support and help from ground advisers. That U.S. support has angered Ankara.
The United States and its allies have repeatedly stated that they do not consider the Syrian settlement possible if Assad stays in power.
SYRIA SLAMMED ERDOĞAN AFTER ASSAD COMMENTS
Syria's Foreign Ministry said Erdoğan supports terrorism and bears prime responsibility for the bloodshed in Syria.
The Ministry accused Erdoğan of misleading the public opinion in Turkey by claiming that Syrian President Bashar Assad should not stay in power, as well as of supporting terrorists in Syria.
"Once again, Turkish President Erdogan continues to mislead the public opinion in Turkey. With his useless soap bubbles, he tries in vain to justify the crimes he has committed against the Syrian people by infinitely and comprehensively helping the terrorist groups in Syria," the ministry's statement read, as quoted by the SANA news agency.
The ministry added that Ankara's policy "causes catastrophic consequences" both for Syria and Turkey.
