“War barons investing in chaos will lose this time; Syrian people, including Arabs, Kurds, Turkmens, Alawites, Sunnis and Christians, will prevail,” Erdogan told reporters on his flight back from China, where he attended a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit.

He said Turkey wants “lasting prosperity and peace” for its southern neighbor and stressed the importance of Syria’s unity. “Recent events have shown that unrest in Syria reflects most strongly on us. We must recognize this,” Erdogan said.

The president added that Syria should “remain united and whole with all its colors” and noted that Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa and his government share this vision.

Erdogan warned that efforts to sow chaos would fail and vowed that Turkey would not abandon Syria. “God willing, no one will be able to prevent Syria from rising again,” he said.

He also emphasized ethnic unity within Syria, saying, “Wherever they may live, Kurds are our brothers and sisters. No one can divide us from one another. Just as flesh cannot be separated from bone, neither can our brotherhood be separated.”

The remarks came as Syria’s minority groups continue to grapple with the fallout of the fall of Bashar al-Assad in December after more than a decade of conflict.

Kurdish factions have pushed for a federal framework that would secure autonomy and greater political rights, but the interim government in Damascus under al-Sharaa has resisted those calls.

In the south Druze communities in Suwayda have organized their own armed council to protect civilians and press for decentralization after recent clashes displaced hundreds of thousands and left many dead.

Alawite strongholds along the coast, once the core of the Assad regime’s support base, have meanwhile suffered targeted massacres this year, deepening fears of sectarian reprisal.

Turkey considers the Kurdish militants controlling the northeast of the country to be an extension of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and has long opposed to their wishes for greater autonomy.