In the third part of the interview with His Excellency by the Turkish Jumhoureyet daily, President Al-Assad said the crisis in Syria is mostly external and the evidence is the presence of Arab fighters and Islamist extremists who are fighting in Syria now in addition to sophisticated weapons and funds that are being smuggled across borders from abroad.
In the third part of His Excellency’s interview with the Turkish Jumhoureyet daily, president Al-Assad said the crisis in Syria is mostly external.

In reply to a question that some believe that the Syrian regime is committing mistakes, president Al-Assad said there are real examples from the region which testify to the inability of any state regardless of its power to stand in the face of the people’s will. The president added that the events in Syria started 15 months ago, and it has been quite clear now that the crisis is mostly external
The evidence is the presence of Arab fighters and Islamist extremists who are fighting in Syria now. Moreover there are sophisticated weapons that are being smuggled across borders in addition to funds that keep pouring from abroad, the president added.
President Al-Assad added that a revolution cannot be a revolution of gangs; it must be a revolution of a people. He stressed that what is happening now is chasing the terrorists who are committing massacres against civilians, and this is the state’s duty.
President Al-Assad referred to the way justifications are given to Turkey’s military operations in northern Iraq and inside Turkey, under the title of: “combating terrorism”. His Excellency wondered why anyone hasn’t said that the Turkish government was killing its people. This is double standard, the President added.

On dealing with the crisis at its beginning, President Al-Assad said in every action there is a percentage of mistake, but we must distinguish between the mistakes committed inside Syria and the external factors.
The President explained that the scheme against Syria has gone through 3 phases:
The first phase was that of demonstrations, the major part of which was paid for. This phase failed. Then they moved to create areas in Syria that were put under the control of the armed gangs. The army foiled this attempt that continued until last march. Then they moved to perpetrate assassination operations and commit massacres against citizens, in addition to attacking state institutions with explosives.

In reply to a question that the UN Human Rights Council has held the Syrian army mostly responsible for what is happening in Syria, President Al-Assad said it is known to all that international institutions are under American and western domination. It would be stupid to consider statements by international organizations as a reference for reality on the ground. They only express the balance of international powers.