Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim has warned there can be no solution to the Syrian conflict or the threat from jihadists while President Bashar al-Assad remains in charge.
In recent days, Yildirim has repeatedly said Turkey would seek good relations with Syria after diplomatic successes with Israel and Russia, raising speculation of a possible change in Turkish policy.
However, in an interview with the BBC broadcast late on Wednesday, Yildirim said Assad had to go because with him in charge, the conflict would not be solved.
“On one hand, there’s Assad and on the other, Da’esh (ISIS). If you ask, should we prefer Assad or Da’esh (ISIS), we cannot choose one over the other. They both have to go – they’re both trouble for Syrians,” he said.
