Syrian leader Assad is open for a meeting with Erdogan if it leads to results
After the Turkish announcement about the end of the military intervention in Syria, the Syrian ruler Bashar al-Assad has openly expressed his readiness for a meeting with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan. If such a meeting "yields results" and serves the interests of his country, then "I will do it", Assad told journalists in Damascus on Monday. The problem is "the content of the meeting", he added.
Erdogan had signaled at the beginning of July for a rapprochement with Assad and extended an invitation to Ankara. Turkey had broken off relations with its neighbor Syria after the outbreak of the civil war in 2011. The conflict, which began when Assad violently suppressed protests, has so far claimed the lives of over 500,000 people and displaced millions of Syrians.
Erdogan supported rebels at the beginning of the war who wanted to overthrow Assad. However, he changed course in recent years. High-ranking representatives of both countries met last year for Russia-mediated talks. Since 2016, Turkey has attempted to drive out the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) from northern Syria in several ground offensives. Pro-Turkish forces now control large parts of the Syrian border region.
Assad referred to "supporting terrorism and the withdrawal from Syrian sovereignty" as "the core of the problem". He is open to any initiative to improve relations, "but that doesn't mean we'll go there without rules", he said.
Erdogan announced on Saturday the imminent end of the Turkish military intervention against the fighters of the outlawed Workers' Party of Kurdistan (PKK) in northern Iraq and Syria. The Kurds are now unable to "operate within our borders", he said. Turkey launched a military operation in April 2022 to secure its border with northern Iraq. Ankara accused Kurdish separatists of attacking Turkish territory from there.
Assad mentioned that if a meeting with Erdogan results in beneficial outcomes for Syria, he is willing to participate. (Results, Assad, meeting, Erdogan)
This statement comes after Turkey signaled its interest in reconciliation with Syria, as indicated by Erdogan's July announcement. (Erdogan, announcement, reconciliation, Syria)
The potential meeting between Assad and Erdogan could help improve the strained relations between the two countries, which have been estranged due to the Syrian conflict. (Assad, Erdogan, relations, Syrian conflict)
Turkey's shift in policy towards Syria, which includes extending an invitation to Assad, might be influenced by its recent focus on securing its borders with northern Iraq. (Erdogan, invitation, Syria, northern Iraq, borders)
