Doha, Qatar – Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has said the opposition takeover in Syria should not pose a threat to its neighbours as he stressed that help was needed to reconstruct the country.

Speaking during a news conference at the Doha Forum on Sunday, hours after opposition forces seized Damascus and declared an end to the rule of President Bashar al-Assad, Fidan said all minorities in Syria “should be treated equally”.

“The principle of inclusiveness must never be compromised. There must never be a desire for revenge,” he told reporters.

“It is time to unite and reconstruct the country,” he asserted.

Moreover, Fidan called on the Syrian opposition to assure its neighbours the country would not pose a threat.

“On the contrary, the new Syria will address the existing problems, will eliminate the threats,” he said.

People stand atop a toppled statue of Syria’s late President Hafez al-Assad in Damascus on December 8, 2024 [Louai Beshara/AFP]

The Syrian war started as a largely unarmed uprising against al-Assad in March 2011, but morphed into a full-blown war that dragged in foreign powers, killed hundreds of thousands of people and turned millions into refugees.

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The fall of Damascus came after a lightning offensive that began late last month and saw opposition forces seize a number of strategic cities.

Large crowds have gathered in the streets of Damascus and other parts of the country to celebrate the downfall of al-Assad, whose whereabouts remain unknown.

Fidan called on all relevant parties in and outside Syria to act with “prudence and calm”, while urging them to refrain from decisions that could further destabilise the region.

Responding to a question on the whereabouts of al-Assad, Fidan said he was unable to comment on the matter but added the Syrian leader was likely no longer in the country.

He also criticised him for failing to “reconcile” with the people of Syria.

“Since 2016, through the Astana process, we de-escalated the situation and basically froze the war. However, the regime did not use this opportunity to reconcile with its own people,” he said.

Nevertheless, Fidan said Syria had reached a point where its people could “shape the future of their own country” and that millions of Syrians who fled due to the war could now return.

“Today there is hope,” he said, noting that the Syrian people could not achieve this alone. “The international community must support the Syrian people.”

Turkiye hosts some three million Syrian refugees, according to official figures.