Assad says he is ready for ceasefire if ‘terrorists’ do not exploit it

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has said that he is ready to implement a ceasefire, on condition that rebels and international backers such as Turkey do not use a lull in fighting as a chance to gain ground and that countries backing insurgents halted support for them.  

His comments were made as the Syrian  opposition said it had agreed to the “possibility” of a temporary truce, provided there were guarantees Damascus’s allies including Russia would cease fire, sieges were lifted and aid deliveries allowed country-wide.

"We have said that we are ready to stop military operations, but the issue relates to more important factors ... such as preventing terrorists from using it to improve their positions," Assad told Spanish newspaper El Pais in an interview.

He also said any truce must ensure that "other countries, especially Turkey, are prevented from sending more terrorists and weapons, or any kind of logistical support".

Damascus refers to all insurgents fighting against the Syrian army and its allies as terrorists.

Assad also said he wants to be remembered 10 years from now as the person who saved Syria.

 “In 10 years, if I can save Syria as president – but that doesn’t mean I’m still going to be president in 10 years, I’m just talking about my vision of the 10 years,” he said in an interview published on the newspaper’s website.

“If Syria is safe and sound, and I’m the one who saved his country – that’s my job now, that’s my duty.

“If the Syrian people want me to be in power, I will be. If they don’t want me, I can do nothing, I mean, I cannot help my country, so I have to leave right away.”

Turkey, other Sunni regional powers and Western countries have supported insurgents fighting against Assad, whose forces are bolstered by Iran, Russia and Lebanese Hezbollah.

Assad said the support of his Russian and Iranian allies had been “essential” in the recent major advances made by regime forces.

“We definitely need that help for a simple reason: because more than 80 countries supported those terrorists in different ways,” he said.

Some backers helped “directly with money, with logistical support, with armaments, with recruitments. Some other countries supported them politically, in different international forums.”

World powers have been pushing for a cessation of hostilities in Syria to pave the way for renewed peace negotiations, but the truce has faltered as fighting on the ground has intensified. World powers agreed in Munich on Feb. 12 to a cessation of hostilities that would let humanitarian aid be delivered in Syria.

The ceasefire was scheduled to start a week later, but did not take effect. Syrian army offensives continue unabated across the country, backed by Russian air strikes.

Assad said last week he would keep "fighting terrorism" while peace talks took place, vowing to retake the whole country.

He told El Pais his troops were now close to fully controlling the northern city of Aleppo and were advancing toward the Islamic State stronghold of Raqqa province.

Once he has control of the country, Assad also said in the interview, the next step would be to form a national unity government that would lay the groundwork for a new constitution and general elections.