Ending terrorism is not only crucial for Türkiye’s security but also vital for Syria’s territorial integrity, Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said Wednesday following a meeting with his Syrian, Russian and Iranian counterparts in Moscow.

Speaking to reporters before his departure from the Russian capital, Akar said: "We strive to bring peace and stability to the region and ensure the security of our citizens, country and borders while getting rid of terrorism."

Akar described the discussions as "fruitful and positive" and said that views were exchanged on a wide range of issues.

"As always, we underlined that we respect Syria’s sovereignty rights and its territorial integrity and that the only reason we are present in Syria is to fight terrorist organizations including the PKK/YPG/PYD and Daesh. We expressed that we will ceaselessly continue our efforts to eliminate terrorists and that this is not only important for Türkiye but also for Syria’s integrity," Akar elaborated.

The minister also said that Ankara aims for the safe and voluntary return of Syrians living in Türkiye while a solution must be found to the Syrian crisis based on the United Nations resolution 2254.

Russia’s long-standing effort to open a channel of dialogue between Türkiye and the Bashar Assad regime paid off last year, as the defense ministers and intelligence chiefs of Türkiye, Russia and the Bashar Assad regime met in Moscow.

Any normalization between Ankara and Damascus would reshape the decadelong Syrian war. Turkish backing has been vital to sustaining moderate Syrian opposition in their last significant territorial foothold in the northwest after Assad defeated opponents across the rest of the country, aided by Russia and Iran.

However, according to statements from the Bashar Assad regime, Damascus wants to end the Turkish presence on Syrian territories.

Since 2016, Ankara has launched a trio of successful counterterrorism operations across its border in northern Syria to prevent the formation of a terror corridor and enable the peaceful settlement of residents: Euphrates Shield in 2016, Olive Branch in 2018 and Peace Spring in 2019.

The PKK terrorist group’s Syrian wing, the YPG, has controlled much of northeastern Syria after Bashar Assad’s forces withdrew in 2012.

Turkish officials have voiced that Ankara and Damascus could cooperate in returning Syrian refugees in Türkiye and counterterrorism efforts as the PKK/YPG still controls much of the war-torn country’s east. Bashar Assad can't establish territorial integrity.

Conversely, normalization has also been ongoing with the regime and the Arab world.

Return of Syrians

Meanwhile, Turkish opposition presidential candidate Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu on Tuesday pledged to return refugees who fled the war in neighboring Syria within the next two years, if he wins next month's presidential and parliamentary elections.

"We will send our Syrian brothers and sisters back to their own country within two years at the latest," Kılıçdaroğlu told an election rally in the central Anatolian province of Eskişehir.

He did not elaborate on how his ambitious plan would work. Experts earlier stressed it is not legally straightforward to force Syrians, who are under temporary protection in Türkiye, to return home.

Kılıçdaroğlu's remarks come amid increasingly anti-refugee sentiment in Türkiye, which is already grappling with a worsening economic crisis.

"What are 3.6 million Syrians doing in our country?" Kılıçdaroğlu charged, arguing the refugees contributed to growing unemployment in Türkiye. He, however, warned against "racism" against Syrians.

Kılıçdaroğlu, the head of the secular main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), also vows to mend ties with regional players, including with Syria.

Türkiye is home to 3.7 million refugees from Syria, according to government data.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan had earlier shared plans to allow as many as 1 million Syrians to return voluntarily, mainly to regions in northern Syria, where Ankara ensures the security of regions close to its border.