Erdogan Rebukes Assad for Not Finding His Prank Support of Opposition with Arms and Resources Amusing

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan—the secular caliph, lion of the Sunnis—has rebuked the perceived “childishness” of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, saying that, if he had known that supporting a few thousand extremists with the resources and weapons necessary to topple his government, tear Syria apart, and bring Türkiye into Aleppo would anger Al-Assad, he’d have foregone pranking him in the first place.

President Erdogan said that the leaders of other states in the region, like Iraq, Greece, and Armenia, are used to his brand of humour, which turns heads in the UN. He added that he had not been aware that President Al-Assad hadn’t been in in the mood for a joke these past 13 years.

In a gesture of goodwill, President Erdogan has invited President Al-Assad to a football match between Tishreen SC and Galatasaray SK in Idlib.