(8 Dec 2024)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Istanbul, Turkey – 08 December 2024
1. Syrians waving Turkish and Syrian flags in front of Fatih Mosque
2. Syrian flag and Syrian opposition supporters
3. Pan right of demonstrators cheering
4. Demonstrators chanting
5. SOUNDBITE (Turkish) Zeina Shallaf, Syrian opposition supporter:
"I have been here for 13 years. I studied here, I have been working for 13 years. My children were born here, but today both I and my children, we are all happy. We will return to Homs. We have a homeland now."
6. Various of demonstrators cheering and celebrating
7. SOUNDBITE (Turkish) Mohammed Hatipoglu, Syrian opposition supporter:
"Today, in my 40 years of life, I have never felt such a feeling. Syria is again, again… (Bashar) Assad is gone. Thank God, thank God. I don’t know what to say, I don’t know how to celebrate but we are very, very, very happy."
8. Supporters
9. SOUNDBITE (Turkish) Mohammed Hatipoglu, Syrian opposition supporter:
"We will return, we will return to Syria. We will repair it again. Everything will be better, God willing. We thank you, Turkey and Recep Tayyip Erdogan (Turkey’s President)."
10. Various of celebrations
STORYLINE:
Syrian refugees across Turkey jubilantly welcomed the downfall of Bashar Assad’s government Sunday, with many embracing the chance to return to their homeland.
Large crowds waving Syrian and Turkish flags gathered in the main square of Kilis, a border city in southern Turkey.
In Hatay province, which also lies on the Syrian frontier, many said it was time to go home after years of living in Turkey, which hosts some 3 million Syrians.
Turkey, which shares a 911-kilometre- (566-mile-) long frontier with Syria, has been a main backer of opposition groups aiming to topple Assad since the outbreak of the civil war in 2011.
While Turkish officials have strongly rejected claims of any involvement, observers believe that the offensive, which appears to be aligned with Turkey’s long-time goals, could not have gone ahead without Ankara’s consent.
Turkish officials have strongly rejected claims of involvement in the anti-government offensive, stating opposition to developments that increase instability in the region.
Analysts say, however, that the rebel offensive would have been impossible without a green light from Turkey.
Turkish officials say Ankara stalled the offensive for months.
Opposition forces finally went ahead with the assault after the Syrian government attacked opposition-held areas, violating agreements between Russia, Iran and Turkey to de-escalate the conflict.
The offensive was initially meant to be limited, the officials said, but expanded after Syrian government forces began retreating from their positions.
AP Video by Mehmet Guzel
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