Hasan deplored the relative calm in Aleppo compared to other regions of the country, explaining it with insecurity due to the presence of various ethnis and religious groups, and the metropolitan lifestyle of the city. While he said the vast majority of Turkmens in Aleppo supported the uprising, Assyrians and Armenians feared an emerging Islamic regime. He considered the Kurds as a major power in the region, and as heavily influenced by the PKK, which – in line with the Turkish government's position – he brands a "terrorist organization".[5]