Assad: Syria Will Win War, Aleppo Will Be Graveyard of Erdogan’s Dreams

After Recent Failed Peace Talks, Assad Insists Victory Is 'Only Option'

Speaking today on the ongoing Syrian Civil War, President Bashar al-Assad insisted that with the most recnet round of peace talks ending unsuccessfully, the only option that is open for the Syrian government is the win the war militarily.

Assad blamed much of the fighting, particularly in the north on Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who he declared a “fascist” in the speech before parliament, a declaration that sparked thunderous applause.

Assad vowed that Aleppo would be “the graveyard where the hopes and dreams of the butcher Erdogan will be buried.” Though Syria and Turkey were allies before the civil war, the Erdogan government almost immediately backed the rebellion, with Turkish officials believing a win by the Arab-dominated rebels would lead to a crackdown on Syrian Kurdish separatists.

The US State Department dismissed the speech as meaningless, and demanded that Assad immediately step down and allow a “political transition,” presumably to install the US-backed rebel factions as the new government.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.