Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said that the Assad regime in Syria is apparently not prepared to reach a deal with the opposition and Ankara and normalize ties with both. Fidan was speaking with Hande Fırat of the Hürriyet newspaper in remarks published on Sunday.
“Türkiye wants to see a political framework where the regime and the opposition can agree. It is essential for the regime to provide a safe and stable environment to the public, together with the opposition. Our hope is that Assad will reach a consensus with his own opposition. But as far as we can see, he and his partners are not ready for such a consensus and a broader normalization,” he was quoted.
Türkiye and Syria have made a push in recent years to mend ties severed in 2011 after Syria’s civil war began and Ankara deployed troops to back opposition forces and stave off the PKK terrorist group's Syrian wing YPG in the north.
Syria's war began after the repression of anti-regime protests in 2011 and has killed more than 500,000 people and displaced millions. Assad views the Syrian opposition as terrorists.
Türkiye hosts some 3.2 million Syrian refugees out of a population of 85 million, according to United Nations data.
Since 2022, top Syrian and Turkish officials, defense and foreign ministers, as well as intelligence chiefs have met for Russia-mediated talks, with Moscow pushing for a detente.
The last talks in Moscow, including Tehran, fell apart in May 2023.
Fidan noted that Israel’s attacks on Syria were increasing and terrorist groups and other elements may exploit this chaotic environment and drive Syria to greater instability.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, over the summer, voiced a plan to invite his estranged Syrian counterpart Bashar Assad for talks.
Assad initially said Damascus was open to all initiatives to revive Turkish-Syrian relations “as long as they are based on respecting the sovereignty of the Syrian state over all its territory and fighting all forms of terrorism.”
Later in July, he made clear that while he wanted Turkish troops to withdraw from Syria, it was not a precondition for talks.
Since then, however, the process has been essentially frozen.
After attending the BRICS summit in Kazan last month, Erdoğan expressed hope to see “constructive steps soon” on the matter. He also confirmed he asked Russian President Vladimir Putin for assistance in ensuring the Syrian government engages with Ankara to normalize ties.
"Russia's influence over the Syrian government is known ... We requested Mr. Putin to ensure the response of (Syrian President) Bashar Assad to our call. Will Mr. Putin make a call for Assad to take this step? We leave that to time," Erdoğan said.
