DAMASCUS: Syria needs more time to “win the battle”raging across the country, President Bashar al-Assad said in a television interview to be broadcast Wednesday.

He added that Syria is fighting a ''regional and global battle'' and it will take time for his regime to win it.

In excerpts from the interview with a private Syrian channel to be broadcast in full later Wednesday, the Syrian leader says his regime is ''moving forward'' but has not won the battle yet.

Assad also scoffed at an idea being championed by Turkey of creating buffer zones within Syria to receive those displaced by the conflict.