Turkey: The Assad regime’s elections are illegal and against our principles

Turkish Foreign Minister Çavuşolu said on Tuesday: “The presidential elections organized by the Assad regime alone in Syria lack legitimacy.”

Ihsanoglu added: “Supporting illegal elections contradicts our principles,” stressing that the Assad regime does not want a political solution.

He stated in a television interview on the Turkish “Haber Türk” channel, that “there is no legitimacy for the elections organized by the Assad regime alone in Syria and no one recognizes them.”

Ihsanoglu noted that it is imperative for the Assad regime to realize that there is no military solution and that it must give importance to the political path, considering that “any elections in Syria must be according to the political track in order to be legitimate.”

The People’s Assembly has set the date for next May 26 to hold the “presidential elections”, and the door for candidacy has been opened from Monday for a period of 10 days, according to what was reported by “SANA” agency affiliated with the Assad regime.

Both the head of the National Coalition and the President of the Syrian Interim Government condemned the Assad regime’s announcement of holding presidential elections, considering them illegal and a farce, after more than 10 million Syrians turned into refugees or displaced persons, in addition to the fact that about 40 percent of the country is outside the control of the Assad regime.

Source: Agencies