On Monday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stated that he is open to holding a meeting with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, but he believes that the withdrawal of Turkish forces from Syrian territories is an unacceptable precondition for the talks.
Turkey is the largest military and political ally of the Syrian opposition, which controls the last stronghold of the opposition in northwest Syria. Ankara has established dozens of bases and deployed thousands of soldiers in northern Syria, preventing the Syrian army, backed by Russia, from regaining control over the region.
Speaking to journalists in Istanbul before his departure on a three-day visit to Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates, Erdogan said his country has never “closed the door” to negotiations with the Syrian government.
“We can hold a quadripartite summit (with Syria, Russia, and Iran), and I am also open to a meeting with Assad. What matters here is their approach towards us.” He added.
He stated that Damascus’ condition of a complete withdrawal of Turkish forces before holding this meeting is “unacceptable.”
The Turkish president also mentioned for the first time this year that he might meet with the Syrian President as part of a new peace process. However, Assad stated in March that there is no point in the meeting until Turkey ends its “illegitimate occupation.”
The highest level of talks between the two countries was reached when their defense ministers met late last year. The dispute between their governments has persisted since 2011 when the Arab Spring uprisings reached Syria and plunged the country into war.
The foreign ministers of both countries met in Moscow in May before the Turkish elections as part of discussions overseen by Russia.
