Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that Türkiye will not give up on the unity and sovereignty of Syria, adding that Lebanon and Turkey will stand by Syria for its renaissance in the next stage.

Erdogan added, during a joint press conference with Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati in Ankara, that "a new era has now begun in Syria... We agree that we must work together as important neighbors of Syria."

The Turkish President pointed out that Türkiye's priorities include achieving stability in Syria, forming a permanent administration, and ensuring the integrity of Syrian territory, calling on the Syrian people to work towards unity and agreement.

Erdogan stressed that Ankara will continue to stand by the Syrian people during the next phase as it has done since the beginning of the conflict and will provide all necessary contributions, adding that Ankara looks forward to "the contribution of everyone who realizes that the stability of Syria means the stability of the region."

For his part, Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati announced that his country is counting on the important Turkish role in overcoming the crises in the region, especially in Syria.

Mikati said, during an official visit that will last for hours, according to a statement issued by the Lebanese Prime Minister's Office, that Beirut is counting on the role that Turkey enjoys and its active presence in the region and the world, "especially in the radical political changes regionally, especially in Syria, which is witnessing an Israeli occupation of part of its land, and strong pressure must be exerted to end it immediately."

The Lebanese Prime Minister expressed his wishes for freedom and stability for the Syrian people, stressing the unity of Syria and its people and its full sovereignty over its lands. He also stressed working for the best relations between Lebanon and Syria on the basis of mutual respect and good neighborliness.

On December 8, Syrian opposition factions took control of the capital, Damascus, and overthrew the regime of ousted President Bashar al-Assad. Israel took advantage of these developments, canceling the separation of forces agreement with Syria and occupying the demilitarized buffer zone in the Golan.

It also launched hundreds of air strikes, destroying warplanes, various missiles, and air defense systems in numerous military sites across Syria.