Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said talks with the Syrian regime will be conducted first on a ministerial level, adding it was premature to plan a “presidential-level” discussion between Türkiye and Syria.
He also reassured the Syrian opposition about concerns regarding the impact of the normalization of ties. The minister was speaking to reporters on his way home from Brazil where he attended the inauguration of that country’s new president and a wake for footballer Pele.
The minister said officials talked to representatives of the Syrian opposition both at his ministry and at the National Intelligence Organization (MIT) and that he was scheduled to hold talks with them later on Tuesday.
“We won’t have a normalization process or discussions with (the Syrian regime) amid objections from the Syrian opposition. Türkiye is also a guarantor country for the opposition,” he said.
On his upcoming talks with his Syrian and Russian counterparts, scheduled to be held in Moscow, he said they would not be “available” on the date proposed by Russia and they were working on new dates.
“We have preparations to do for the meeting. We are conducting joint work to turn issues discussed between intelligence organizations and at the level of the Defense Ministry into concrete steps. Thus, we will not have a single meeting or an all-day meeting,” he said.
The minister noted that the Syrian opposition has long been engaged in negotiations with the regime, pointing to the Astana process and talks in Geneva, "although they failed to reach a conclusion."
"We will always exchange views with the Syrian opposition before any political talks with the regime," he said, noting that the current process with the regime was "not against (the interests) of the opposition." He also denied comments that Türkiye would compromise with the regime and forcibly send Syrian refugees back to Syria.
"It is out of the question. Certainly, there may be returns, but they will be safe and dignified and returnees should be provided with the necessary means. Therefore, engaging the United Nations in this process is crucial. European Union countries affected by migration should also be engaged in this process," he said.
Çavuşoğlu said engaging with the regime was necessary for the safe and secure return of Syrian refugees from Türkiye as well as other neighbors of Syria and other regional countries agreed upon this as well.
