This is the full text of the speech delivered by Bülbülzade Foundation President Turgay Aldemir at the “Istanbul Negotiations” meeting held on March 27, 2026, at the ÖNDER General Headquarters.
Dear friends, esteemed representatives of civil society, today we have gathered here not only to discuss a crisis in our neighboring region, but to speak about a part of our own soul, our history, and our shared future. For us, Aleppo is not merely a commercial partner of Gaziantep; it is its soul twin. Those artificial borders drawn between us, the barbed wires and minefields, can never alter the truth of our spiritual geography, woven thread by thread over a thousand years. When we speak of Damascus, Aleppo, and Idlib, we are not referring to strangers, but to our brothers and sisters with whom we share the same table, turn to the same qibla, and feel sorrow in the same songs.
THE ANCIENT CENTER OF THE LAW OF COEXISTENCE
Syria is not merely a state in the Middle East; it is a نقطة of convergence where the abundance of the Mediterranean, the security of Anatolia, and the ancient knowledge of Mesopotamia meet. Under Ottoman rule, Aleppo was the third largest and most strategic city of the empire after Istanbul and Cairo. As a “caravan city,” Aleppo was a center where not only goods but also cultures and religions were blended. The “elegance and cleanliness” admired by Alexander Russell, who visited the city in the 18th century, were in fact a physical reflection of the “law of coexistence” in the region. Syria’s strategic value is not limited to its position on the Silk Road; it has historically been a “center of balance” where regional orders were either established or dismantled. In pre-regime Syria, different faith groups coexisted within a neighborhood culture that respected one another’s rights. The bazaars (souks) of Aleppo were places where Muslim, Christian, and Jewish merchants operated under the same guild rules, reinforcing social peace through commercial ethics. This ancient structure formed the foundation of Syria’s “asabiyyah” (spirit of social solidarity).
FROM SHARED HISTORICAL HERITAGE TO A BALANCE OF FEAR
Syria’s immense ethnic and religious diversity (Sunni, Alawite, Druze, Christian; Arab, Kurdish, Turkmen, Syriac) was transformed under the Baath regime from a richness into an apparatus of governance and division. From the 1960s onward, the institutionalized Baath ideology subjugated society through securitization policies. Under the pretense of protecting minority rights, the regime in fact established a “balance of fear” that incited society against itself. Civil structures and religious communities—the natural dynamics of society—were forced to become extensions of the regime’s intelligence (Mukhabarat) network. The shared historical heritage of “Ottoman urban peace” gave way to rigid centralization and loyalty tests. The resistance of Aleppo against the French mandate in the 1920s, and the local movement led by Ibrahim Hannanu, demonstrate the deep-rooted commitment of the Syrian people to freedom and dignity. However, the Baath regime sought to extinguish this noble spirit by imposing ideological control over all aspects of life, from property rights to the education system. People became unable to trust one another or express their true opinions in public. A sociological process of “withdrawal inward” was initiated—perhaps the greatest harbinger of the approaching storm.
A STRUGGLE FOR EXISTENCE
By 2011, when the wave of “dignity and freedom” sweeping the region reached Syria’s doorstep, what emerged was not merely a civil demand, but a process of annihilation initiated by the regime itself. The events that began in Daraa, with the fingernails of children being torn out for writing freedom slogans on school walls, marked the final straw for the Syrian people. As frequently emphasized in the reports of Bülbülzade and BEKAM, the violation of human dignity appeared here as a state policy. The regime responded to the people’s demands for welfare and freedom not with reform, but with tanks, barrel bombs, and systematic massacres. The cry rising from Daraa soon spread to Homs, Hama, and ultimately to the ancient city of Aleppo. For the Syrian people, this was not merely a desire for political change, but a struggle for existence. In order to preserve its power, the Baath regime was willing to reduce Syria’s cities to ruins. The thousand-year-old architectural and sociological depth of these cities was sacrificed for the survival of the regime. What began as peaceful demonstrations evolved, through deliberate provocations and the imposition of a “either me or chaos” narrative, into one of the bloodiest and most complex civil wars in history. From that point on, there was no turning back; for the Syrian people, the path to dawn would be paved with great sacrifice and migration. In the struggle for freedom, approximately one million Syrians lost their lives, and more than 900,000 were imprisoned from 2011 until the collapse of the regime, with many perishing in prisons.
THOSE PLAYING CHESS ON THE MAP AND THOSE SAVING LIVES FROM A BURNING HOUSE
Unfortunately, the Syrian issue was quickly taken out of being an internal matter. Global powers treated Syria as a vast laboratory where they tested their new weapons and geopolitical maneuvers. Tragically, the subjects of this laboratory were innocent children, women, and civilians. But when we looked there, we did not see a laboratory; we saw a “market of lives,” and above all, we saw a thousand-year-old “law of neighborliness.” While they were playing chess on the map, we were striving to save lives from inside a burning house.
AN ORGANIZED PROJECT OF POPULATION ELIMINATION
The Syrian people’s cry for freedom struck not only the walls of the Baath regime but also the interests of regional and global actors. Iran and Russia did not merely provide political support to suppress the legitimate demands of the people; they established a logistical and military umbrella that soaked every inch of the land in blood. With its direct intervention in 2015, Russia struck civilian settlements, hospitals, and bakeries from the air, while Iran, through the militias it deployed to the region, became the architect of demographic change and sectarian violence on the ground. The critical point to emphasize here is that this support was not a “defense of a state,” but an “elimination of a people.” These forces behind the regime aimed to depopulate Syria and establish a loyal minority hegemony. For Russia, the survival of its bases in the Eastern Mediterranean, and for Iran, the expansionist corridor under the name of the “axis of resistance,” were deemed far more valuable than the life of a Syrian orphan. This stands as one of the most organized and ruthless “regime rehabilitation” projects in modern history.
THE CRUSHING OF HUMAN VALUES UNDER THE GEARS OF REALPOLITIK
So, what did the West—self-proclaimed champion of democracy and human rights—do? Unfortunately, the United States and European countries remained mere “record keepers” and “spectators” in the face of the Syrian tragedy. The Western world approached Syria not as a matter of human rights, but merely as a “security and migration control” problem. They feared the wave of migrants reaching their borders more than they feared children suffocating from chemical weapons. Throughout the process, “red lines” were declared, yet those lines were repeatedly crossed with the blood of innocents, and no concrete action came from the West. For them, Syria was merely a buffer zone where extremism needed to be contained. Human values were crushed under the gears of realpolitik. This silence effectively amounted to tacit approval, legitimizing the massacres carried out by the regime and its supporters. While the Geneva processes were consumed at negotiation tables, hundreds of people were being buried every day on the ground.
DESIGN THROUGH TERROR AND A SOCIOLOGICAL ASSASSINATION
The factor that prolonged the war and dealt the heaviest blow to Syria’s future has been the United States’ controversial partnership carried out under the pretext of “fighting داعش (ISIS).” The strategy of eliminating one terrorist organization (PYD/YPG) through another (ISIS) has inflicted irreversible wounds on the region. As clearly demonstrated in SETA’s reports on “The PKK’s Syrian Structure,” the extensive supply of weapons, ammunition, and intelligence by the United States transformed PYD into a “proxy force” in the region. This is not merely a security issue; it is an assault on Syria’s territorial integrity and its sociological fabric. Preventing displaced people from returning to areas cleared of داعش (ISIS), forcing Arabs and Turkmens out of their ancestral lands, and attempting to establish a “terror corridor” have been the primary factors prolonging the war by at least another decade. While the West created its own “useful apparatus” on the ground, it marginalized the Syrian people’s revolution and legitimate opposition. Today, the greatest obstacle to justice and stability in Syria is precisely this attempt to “design through terror.”
A MAGNIFICENT MOVEMENT OF HUMAN REVIVAL AGAINST HUMAN DESTRUCTION
Dear friends, while in world capitals the refugee issue is debated as a “crisis to be managed” or a “wave to be stopped,” we have never approached this matter through numbers or barbed wires. For us, being “Ansar” is not a favor, but the fulfillment of an ancient debt and a thousand-year-old law of brotherhood. The 4 million brothers and sisters we host in our country today are not merely refugees; they are a trust entrusted to us by history, geography, and our faith. At a time when global conscience fell silent, Türkiye has shouldered the honor of humanity alone.
From the very first day of the war, Türkiye became a refuge for millions fleeing death through its “Open Door Policy.” According to the data of the Directorate General of Migration Management under the Ministry of Interior, we are today the country hosting the largest number of refugees in the world. Yet this is not merely a numerical success, but a sociological miracle. In an era when Western countries faced political crises over a few thousand refugees and built walls along their borders, Türkiye has integrated 4 million people into its social fabric without allowing chaos. During this process, institutions such as the Red Crescent, AFAD, and other NGOs established some of the world’s most modern temporary accommodation centers along our borders, while civil initiatives like the Bülbülzade Foundation reinforced this compassionate effort with a civic spirit. Field research conducted by BEKAM on the “Culture of Coexistence” shows that Türkiye has not only shared its bread, but also built a vision of a “shared future.” This is not merely migration management; it is a عظیم movement of “human revival” standing against “human destruction.”
OPENING A LIFE CORRIDOR FOR CIVILIANS
Türkiye’s Euphrates Shield, Olive Branch, and Peace Spring operations have often been portrayed in international media merely as military campaigns. However, we know that their true objective was to open a lifeline for civilians suffocating under the grip of terrorist organizations. By preventing the establishment of a “terror state” just beyond its borders, Türkiye also created conditions for the “safe return” of hundreds of thousands of Syrians fleeing the oppression of داعش (ISIS) and PKK/PYD. These operations are not only measures of regional security but also humanitarian development initiatives. Thanks to these efforts, people who were forcibly displaced from their villages through demographic engineering by terrorist groups have been able to return to their lands, olive groves, and homes. Türkiye crowned this military success with diplomatic achievements, transforming northern Syria into an “island of peace” cleared of proxy wars among global powers.
BUILDING NOT ONLY STRUCTURES BUT HOPE AND JUSTICE
Our safe zone strategy is not merely about drawing a military line. This 30-kilometer-deep zone has become the name of a life reborn—with its schools, hospitals, bakeries, and marketplaces. Under the coordination of our provincial administrations and with the support of civil society organizations, local councils have been established and civilian governance mechanisms have begun to function. As we have personally witnessed through the Bülbülzade Foundation, thousands of children in these areas continue their education and receive treatment in hospitals established by the Turkish Red Crescent. Türkiye has not only ensured border security but also implemented a model of local settlement, enabling people to build dignified lives in their own homeland. According to UN estimates, the number of returnees from abroad has reached 1.5 million, although the process still requires support due to destroyed homes and lack of services. In Idlib, preserved as a de-escalation zone, a similar humanitarian shield has been formed. This 30-kilometer line not only kept terrorist threats like PYD and داعش (ISIS) away from our country but also represented a “second chance” for millions of Syrian civilians. What we are building there today is not merely structures, but hope, justice, and the future of Syria.
FROM PILES OF RUBBLE TO CIVILIZATION: THE KITCHEN OF SILENT REVIVAL
Dear friends, as members of civil society, we know one fundamental truth: you can rebuild a city, reconstruct destroyed buildings; but if you do not revive minds and hearts, those piles of stones cannot create a civilization. While we raised buildings in safe zones, we also took it upon ourselves the greatest duty of reviving the human spirit that would fill them. BEKAM and the Bülbülzade Foundation are the very kitchen of this silent revival.
The most tragic outcome of the Syrian crisis is the threat of “lost generations” that cannot be captured in statistics. As Bülbülzade Foundation and BEKAM, we have stood as a barrier against this threat with academic rigor and civic passion. We approached education not merely as curriculum delivery, but as the construction of identity and belonging. Through our projects in safe zones and in Türkiye, we prevented tens of thousands of children from replacing pens with weapons. The “Social Cohesion” books and curricula prepared by BEKAM reinterpret the ancient brotherhood of two peoples through the language of modern sociology. These efforts are not merely about saving today; they are about preparing the intellectual foundation of the engineers, doctors, and teachers who will rebuild Syria tomorrow. The cultural and educational centers we have opened in northern Syria do not only teach mathematics; they instill justice, freedom, and the ethics of coexistence.
STRENGTHENING THE FOUNDATIONS OF A CIVILIZATIONAL BRIDGE
Our vision is not confined to the border line. The cultural centers established in Syria’s safe zones (Azaz, Al-Bab, Jarabulus, Afrin) under the leadership of the Bülbülzade Foundation are like oases. These centers dispel the grayness of war through art, literature, and thought. Yet our ultimate goal is to carry this civic vitality back to the ancient bazaars of Aleppo and the Umayyad-scented streets of Damascus. The cultural centers opened or planned in Aleppo and Damascus aim to revive the “courtesy of Aleppo” mentioned at the beginning of our speech. Combining the spirit of resistance of Ibrahim Hannanu with the aesthetic vision of the Prophet, these centers safeguard Syria’s intellectual memory. They serve as platforms of freedom where Syrian intellectuals, youth, and artists come together to imagine a “New Syria.” We are not merely opening foundation branches there; we are reinforcing the pillars of a thousand-year-old bridge of civilization.
NOW IS THE TIME TO RAISE SYRIA TOGETHER WITH SYRIANS
Dear brothers and sisters, every winter has its spring, every night its dawn. December 8, 2024, is not just a date for the Syrian people; it marks the triumph of a struggle for dignity and the tearing apart of a 60-year darkness. As winds of freedom blow over Damascus, our duty as members of civil society is no longer to complain or count wounds, but to rebuild the future together with unity of hands and hearts. Now is the time to rise for Syria—and to raise Syria together with Syrians.
As of December 8, 2024, the collapse of the Baath regime represents not only a change of power but a revolution of mentality. Our post-revolution fieldwork shows that the Syrian people have responded to sectarian and divisive policies with a unifying stance. The rapid establishment of local governance structures in Damascus, Aleppo, Homs, and Hama demonstrates Syria’s civic maturity. Bashar al-Assad fled to Moscow with billions of dollars and gold, leaving behind a failed state with an empty treasury and 65% of its infrastructure destroyed. Yet the revolutionaries initiated a humane approach—“Go, you are free”—and established a High Commission for Transitional Justice. During this process, Türkiye, through wise diplomacy with regional actors, prevented the الثورة from descending into chaos and ensured a humane transition. This is Syria rising from its ashes. What stands before us now is not a mass ruled by a “empire of fear,” but free agents who establish their own councils, ensure their own security, and claim their own future.
TÜRKİYE AS A GUIDE AND COMPANION
In the political, economic, and cultural reconstruction of the New Syria, Türkiye’s role is not that of a “guardian,” but of a “guide” and “companion.” The greatest motivation for the dignified and voluntary return of Syrians is trust and stability. Türkiye has the experience to expand across Syria the models of governance, education, and healthcare it has developed in safe zones. The enactment of modern laws on political parties, media, and codes of conduct for journalists is crucial for building not only structures but also the rule of law. As a success in economic diplomacy, the lifting of “Caesar Act” sanctions with the support of Qatar and Saudi Arabia has opened the door for foreign investment. Current challenges include Israel’s occupation of the buffer zone in Quneitra, the clearing of SDG/PKK remnants, and the integration of Druze communities in Suwayda. The restoration of the historic fabric of Damascus and Aleppo, and the economic integration of Syria’s production capacity with the industries of Gaziantep, Hatay, and Şanlıurfa, will create a regional development miracle. Our vision is a Syria where universities are autonomous, the rule of law prevails, and the Aleppo Bazaar regains its former vibrancy.
FROM AID TO DEVELOPMENT: A NEW CONSTRUCTION SITE OF THE FUTURE
From here, I call on all national and international civil society representatives: we must now close the chapter of “emergency aid” and move to the page of “sustainable development.” It is not enough to deliver bread; we must build the bakery that produces it, the energy that runs it, and the universities that train the engineers who will establish that system. The reconstruction cost exceeding $600 billion underscores the immense responsibility on NGOs. International civil society must take responsibility in strengthening Syria’s institutions and building justice mechanisms. People do not want to return merely to a house, but to a future. To build this future, we must establish a new “construction site” that unites academia with civil society, bureaucracy with the people. As the Bülbülzade Foundation, our strategic plans and field experience are at your service. Let us rebuild Syria—not only physically, but spiritually and intellectually—together.
