Syrian President on Friday warned that any failure to safeguard Iraq's territorial integrity will spark massive bloodshed in the Middle East region. "Iraq's disintegration will be a bomb that will blow up the Middle East," Bashar al-Assad told a group of journalists in Istanbul.
"Our vision in Syria is that the Iraqi people is also against the division. Such issues will be discussed in the upcoming conference of Iraq's neighboring countries scheduled to be held in Istanbul soon," he said.
On Thursday, the Syrian leader leader defended Turkey's right to use military force against Kurdish militants. At a news conference with Turkish President Abdullah Gul, Assad said: "I don't believe the Turkish government seeks war." "We condemn any act done by this organization against Turkish civilians and soldiers who defend their borders. Turkey has no ambitions in Iraq, it seeks self-defense and which is a right."
