Syria conditions normalization with Turkey to 'return to pre-2011 status quo'
Normalization between Turkey and Syria would be possible if the countries return to the pre-2011 status quo, the Syrian Foreign Ministry said on Sunday in response to Turkey's repeated calls for bilateral talks. This marks the first official statement from Damascus following a series of invitations extended by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to his Syrian counterpart, Bashar al-Assad.
The ministry’s statement, published by the state-run SANA agency, asserts that the policies of the Turkish government “have proven to be harmful to Syria and other countries.”
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The ministry expressed a willingness to engage in various initiatives aimed at improving relations with other countries, including Turkey.
“However, the goal of these initiatives are, rather than being media material, targeted processes based on existing realities and the principles that determine the relationship between the two countries,” says the statement. These principles include respect for sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity, and combating elements threatening security and stability.
The Syrian government has long set the withdrawal of Turkey’s military forces from its territory and the cessation of its support to armed groups as prerequisites for normalizing relations with Ankara.
Return to pre-war status quo
The ministry further clarified that normalization with Turkey should return to the pre-2011 status, which was “based on the security, welfare, and stability of both nations.”
It reiterated the conditions for such normalization, including the withdrawal of ‘illegal forces’ from Syria and “the fight against terrorist organizations that threaten the security of both Syria and Turkey.”
However, there is a disparity in what both countries call ‘terror groups.’ Damascus seeks the complete withdrawal of Turkish Armed Forces from Syrian territory and an end to support for armed groups which it deems ‘terrorists.’ Meanwhile, Ankara desires normalization with Damascus, potentially targeting a new initiative against the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria, while Damascus prioritizes the fight against jihadist groups, including Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham, in Idlib.
Is normalization with Syria possible for Turkey while protecting jihadists?
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