DAMASCUS, Syria — President Bashar Assad vowed Tuesday his troops would “liberate” every inch of Syria, just like they recaptured the town of Palmyra from the Islamic State group, in a speech that reflected his renewed confidence as the military pressed toward Raqqa.
His remarks in parliament came as his opponents, backed by Turkey and Saudi Arabia, are struggling for survival and his troops have encircled rebel-held neighborhoods of Aleppo, Syria’s largest city.
Saying the military situation was much better than it was months ago, Assad told the lawmakers that Aleppo will be “the graveyard where the hopes and dreams of the butcher Erdogan will be buried.”
The reference was to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, one of the staunchest supporters of the rebels fighting Assad. Erdogan has allowed safe passage from his country for fighters and weapons over the border into Syria.
Assad also described Erdogan as a “thug” and a “fascist.”
When Assad walked into the chamber to speak, the legislators stood and chanted, “Our soul, our blood we sacrifice for you, Bashar!”
The civil war, now in its sixth year, has turned in Assad’s favor ever since Russia began a bombing campaign in September, helping Syrian troops recapture wide areas.
The biggest victory came in March, when government forces evicted the IS group from Palmyra, a town in Syria world famous for its majestic Roman-era ruins.
“The way we liberated Palmyra, and before that many areas, we will liberate every last bit of Syria from their hands. We have no choice but to be victorious,” Assad said.
Erdogan denies he is aiding IS, although he does support other rebels fighting Assad. The U.S. supports the U.S.-backed Syria Democratic Forces fighting IS.
State Department spokesman Mark Toner dismissed the speech as “vintage Assad.”
He said Assad should “recognize his role in the carnage in Syria” and “pledge to step aside so that a political transition could take place.”
The IS group also is under siege in Iraq, as government forces there surround the western city of Fallujah, which has been held by extremists for more than two years.
The speech was Assad’s first to Syria’s newly elected parliament and his first public remarks since January. He also thanked China for using its veto at the U.N. Security Council months after the crisis began to prevent the imposition of sanctions on Syria as well as Russia, Iran and Lebanon’s Hezbollah group — three key allies who have played a critical role in boosting Assad’s forces.
