Breaking News Turkey with agencies
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said he is open to meeting with Bashar al-Assad, Syria’s President.
Speaking to reporters before his departure for Gulf tours starting with Saudi Arabia at Atatürk Airport in Istanbul, Erdoğan did not rule out a meeting with Assad.
Erdoğan is open to a meeting with Assad
“We can hold a four-party summit (with Syria, Russia and Iran), and I am also open to a meeting with Assad. What matters here is their approach toward us,” he said.
Erdogan first said earlier this year that he may meet Syrian President Assad as part of a new peace process.
Ankara and Damascus are in talks to repair the relations within the scope of the quadrilateral meeting including Iran and Russia.
President rejects Syria’s request for Turkish troops
Erdoğan also rejected the calls from Damascus concerning the presence of the Turkish army in northern Syria.
“Assad, unfortunately, wants Türkiye to leave Northern Syria,” said Erdoğan. “We are fighting against terrorism there. How can we withdraw when our country is under continuous threat from terrorists along our border… We expect a fair approach.”
Talks between Ankara and Damascus
The defense ministers of the two countries met late last year for the highest-level talks between the two neighbors, whose governments have been at odds since 2011 when the Arab Spring uprisings reached Syria and plunged the country into war.
The foreign ministers of the two countries also met in Moscow in May ahead of the Turkish elections as part of talks overseen by Russia.
Russia considers dialogues between Türkiye and Syria crucial for the stability of the region.
The country’s Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova has said they see the negotiations between Turkey and Syria as an important element of regional stability.