In the future, we cannot allow Syria to be divided again, says the Turkish leader.
He is believed to have played a crucial role behind the scenes through Turkish support to certain rebel groups when resistance militias swept through Syria last week and overthrew Bashar al-Assad's regime.
We are against all potential attacks on the Syrian people's freedom, the new government's stability, and the country's integrity, Erdogan says now.
However, during the Syrian civil war, Turkey has established "buffer zones" on the Syrian side of the countries' common border.
And the view on the resistance forces that have now taken over Syria is at least divided. Some groups enjoy Turkey's support. But Erdogan has a ruthless view on Kurdish attempts at increased self-determination – since the Kurds have similar claims in his country as well.
Kurdish movements like PKK and PYD he equates with Islamist terrorists.
Hopefully, terrorist groups like IS and PKK/PYD will be crushed, he says.
The Kurdish groups have during the war established a self-governing area called Rojava, which covers more than a quarter of Syria's area.
