Turkish President supports Syrian interim leader amid sectarian violence

Addressing a press conference on Monday following a cabinet meeting, Erdogan alleged that remnants of Syria's former regime were attempting to provoke sectarian strife, though he characterised the overall situation as "largely stable yet delicate," Xinhua news agency reported.

"We welcome President al-Sharaa's reassuring and resolute stance that lawbreakers will face consequences. I have faith in the Syrian people's wisdom to avert destabilisation," Erdogan said, condemning all acts of terrorism, violence, and intimidation.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based war monitor, reported that nearly 1,500 people, including over 1,000 civilians, were killed between Thursday and Saturday. It said security forces and allied factions were responsible for most civilian deaths in the Alawite-majority coastal region.

The bloodshed followed a deadly ambush on a security patrol, which authorities blamed on Alawite militants. Gunmen loyal to the interim government have since been accused of retaliatory attacks against members of the Alawite sect, a minority group that held power under ousted leader Bashar al-Assad.

Al-Sharaa, who led a rapid rebel offensive that toppled Assad in December, pledged to establish an independent committee to investigate the killings. "The perpetrators will be held accountable," he said in a statement.

The recent violence marks the worst unrest since al-Sharaa's forces seized control of the country.

Turkiye was a strong supporter of al-Sharaa and his Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) militant group during Syria's civil war.