Assad blames Erdogan for violence in Syria and insists on a pullout of Turkish troops

By BASSEM MROUE and KAREEM CHEHAYEB
Associated Press

BEIRUT (AP) — Syrian President Bashar Assad has slammed Turkey and blamed Ankara for the uptick in violence in his war-torn country. Assad also insisted on the withdrawal of Turkish forces from Syria. Assad spoke in an interview on Wednesday with Sky News Arabia. it was his first interview to a foreign media outlet in months. Turkey is a main backer of armed opposition fighters who have been trying to remove Assad from power and has carried out three major incursions into northern Syria since 2016. Turkish forces control parts of northern Syria where fighting and violence have persisted. Assad said that “terrorism in Syria is made in Turkey.”