Assad reiterates won't meet Erdoğan until Turkey's 'complete withdrawal' from Syria

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Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has reiterated that he won't meet President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan until Turkey completely withdraws from his country.

"A word without preconditions for a meeting means without an agenda, without an agenda means without preparation, without preparation means without results, so why do Erdoğan and I meet?" Assad told Sky Araic, according to a translation by Syria's state-run SANA news agency.

"We want to reach a clear goal. Our goal is the Turkish withdrawal from the Syrian lands, while Erdoğan's goal is to legitimize the presence of the Turkish occupation in Syria. Therefore, the meeting cannot take place under Erdoğan's conditions."

Turkey and its allied armed groups currently control several cities and towns in Syria's north and northwest. It also has a significant military presence in the jihadist stronghold of Idlib.

President Assad discussed the issue of refugee return, stating that approximately 500,000 individuals have already returned to their homes. However, he noted that the rate of return has recently slowed down. He emphasized the challenging conditions faced by refugees returning to Syria, such as the inadequacy of basic amenities like water, electricity, schools, and medical facilities.

Rapprochement between ankara and Damascus

The relationship between Turkey and Syria has been strained for more than a decade, with Turkey supporting Syrian armed groups in their conflict against the Damascus government. However, there have been attempts to improve relations over the past year.

Last September, President Erdoğan expressed his willingness to meet President Assad during the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit in Uzbekistan. Although Assad was not present at the summit, Erdoğan indicated a potential for dialogue and further steps with Syria.

Also, In December 2022, the defense ministers of Russia, Turkey, and Syria met in Moscow, discussing ways to resolve the Syrian crisis, address refugee issues, and combat extremist groups. A quadripartite meeting between the assistant foreign ministers of Syria, Russia, Iran, and Turkey in April 2023 aimed to overcome obstacles to normalization, focusing on ending Turkey's illegal presence in Syrian territory, non-interference in Syrian affairs, and combating terrorism.

Despite these efforts, the path to reconciliation between Turkey and Syria remains complex, with issues like territorial integrity and conflicting goals requiring substantial diplomatic endeavors. (AEK/VK)