Ankara — Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir said on Thursday that Riyadh has “similar stance” with Turkey regarding Syria, Iraq and Yemen.
In a joint press conference with his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu, during his visit to Ankara, Jubeir said stances of Turkey and Saudi Arabia “fully coincide with each other regarding Syria, Iraq or Yemen, including terrorism.”
Jubeir described that the plan put forth by the Syrian opposition is “detailed” and “complete,” and said President Bashar Al-Assad’s regime was still rejecting a political solution.
Jubeir said Saudi Arabia and Turkey were “the first two states who cooperated to back the Syrian opposition since day one.”
He also said Saudi Arabia “looks forward” to work with Turkey on these “common issues,” vowing that Riyadh will give Ankara full support on fighting terrorism.
Jubeir also extended his “thanks” to Ankara’s “supportive stance in terms of pilgrimage.”
Turkey’s Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu expressed his appreciation for Saudi Arabia’s support to Ankara following the failed coup in Turkey.
He said Ankara is preparing the biggest military operation in its history against Kurdish militia south of the country.
He said that ground operation in the the Syrian city of Raqqa against the Daesh militant group is vital for achieving victory over terrorists. “If we want to cleanse Syria and Iraq of Daesh, it is important that we mount operations both in Mosul and in Raqqa. We have always said that if we do not support local forces on the ground, if there is no land operation, it will not be possible to eliminate or even stop Daesh exclusively from the air,” Cavusoglu said.
