Al-Sharaa apologizes to the people of Deir Ezzor after his father's “remarks”

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa offered an apology to the people of Deir Ezzor province in eastern Syria following remarks made by his father during a television interview that sparked a wave of anger on social media.

During a phone call with the governor of Deir Ezzor and a number of the province’s dignitaries, al-Sharaa said that the people of Deir Ezzor hold a great place in the hearts of all Syrians, stressing that “the people of Deir are our loved ones, our support, and a crown upon our heads.”

He added that the offense directed at the province’s residents “hurt him personally before it hurt the people of Deir,” stressing that their rights are محفوظة, and that the history of Deir Ezzor’s people and their national positions “precede words and stand as testimony for them.”

The Syrian president explained that what happened “may have been a slip or the result of some phrases being taken out of context in the interview,” offering an apology on behalf of his father and affirming the depth of love for the people of Deir Ezzor, “both countryside and city.”