Erdogan is ready for reconciliation with Syria's dictator al-Assad
At the start of the civil war in Syria, Turkey cuts diplomatic ties with its neighbor. The then Turkish prime minister and current president openly seeks the overthrow of dictator Bashar al-Assad. However, Turkish interests have since changed. Erdogan is openly in favor of reconciliation.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has shown himself open to re-establishing relations with Syrian ruler Bashar al-Assad. His government could invite Assad "at any time," Erdogan told journalists of the state news agency Anadolu during his return flight from the UEFA European Championship quarterfinals in Berlin. Erdogan hinted that heads of state and government, including Assad's Russian ally Vladimir Putin, had suggested a meeting between him and Assad in Turkey.
"We have now reached a point where, as soon as Baschar al-Assad takes a step towards improving relations with Turkey, we will take the same stance towards him," Erdogan further stated. Turkey had broken off relations with its neighbor Syria after the civil war began in 2011. The conflict began when Assad violently suppressed protests. To date, over 500,000 people have been killed, millions of Syrians have been displaced, and the country's infrastructure and industry have been severely damaged.
For a long time, Turkey had aimed to topple Assad's government. However, Ankara's focus shifted to preventing an extensive autonomous Kurdish region in the Syrian border region in the north. Erdogan had already warned of a "terror corridor" in 2019. Since 2020, the Turkish army has stationed soldiers in northern Syria and, with the support of Syrian auxiliary forces, controls two large areas in the border region.
Anti-Turkish protests in northern Syria
In the past week, violent anti-Turkish protests have occurred in these areas, resulting in the deaths of seven people. The trigger was disturbances against Syrian institutions in several Turkish cities. Erdogan accused the Turkish opposition of instigating the unrest and spoke of "dirty hands" behind the protests in northern Syria - without making specific references.
Turkey has taken in over 3.2 million Syrian refugees since the start of the Syrian civil war. The handling of these refugees has been a central political issue in Turkey for some time. Turkish opposition politicians have called for the refugees to be returned to Syria.
Erdogan himself had recently hinted at the possibility of a new start in relations with ruler Assad. His government is also working on possibilities for the voluntary return of Syrians to their homeland.
- Despite initially cutting diplomatic ties with Syria due to its support for Bashar al-Assad during the civil war, Turkey's current president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has expressed a desire for reconciliation, suggesting a potential meeting with Assad.
- The shift in Turkish interests towards Syria has been influenced by political concerns beyond the overthrow of Assad, such as preventing the establishment of an autonomous Kurdish region near its border.
- Anti-Turkish protests in northern Syria, sparked by disturbances in Turkish cities, have raised tensions between the two countries, leading Erdogan to accuse the Turkish opposition of instigating the unrest.
