Assad says the Turks must go. 

Ths is one of the messages Syria's President delivered during a wide-ranging interview with RIA Novosti and Sputnik. 

According to Assad, Syria will never allow foreign powers to occupy or partition Syria: "Either they leave, or it's your land — you have to defend it. You have to go and fight. You can't say 'they can stay' or 'let's negotiate'. No, you don't negotiate. It's your land. You defend it. You expel them, you fight them."

Assad also said that the US and its allies will be easier to expel from Syria once their proxy armies — the so-called 'moderate rebels' — are defeated. His hope is that once the proxy armies are destroyed, US and Turkish forces will withdraw. If they don't, Assad said Syria will fight to defend its land from foreign occupation. 

Some highlights from the interview: