Syrian President Assad stated that efforts to improve Syrian-Turkish relations have not yet yielded concrete results, and said that he wants Turkish soldiers to withdraw from Syria, but this is not a condition for normalization talks.
“IT IS NOT NECESSARY FOR TURKISH SOLDIERS TO WITHDRAW”
Syrian President Bashar Assad also mentioned relations with Türkiye in his speech to the Syrian Parliament.
Assad stated that efforts to improve Syrian-Turkish relations have not yet yielded concrete results, and that he wants Turkish troops to withdraw from Syria, but this is not a condition for normalization talks.
INITIATIVES HAVE NOT YET RESULTS
Noting that the negotiations held so far have not yielded any results, Assad said regarding the mediation efforts of Russia, Iran and Iraq, “Despite the seriousness and sincere efforts of the mediators, the efforts have not yielded any significant results.”
“THE PROBLEM IS NOT THE MEETING, IT IS THE CONTENT OF THE MEETING”
“The problem is not the meeting, but its content,” Assad said last month.
Assad made the following statements:
“What is the basis of the meeting? Ending the causes of the problems, such as supporting terrorism and withdrawing from Syrian territory? That is the essence of the problem. What would such a meeting mean if there was no discussion about the essence of the problem?”
Assad added that he would respond positively to any initiative aimed at developing bilateral relations, but that the foundations for such talks should be laid first.
WHAT DID PRESIDENT ERDOĞAN SAY?
President Erdoğan, in the press conference he held after the NATO Summit, said, “I made a call to Mr. Assad two weeks ago, saying, ‘Either come to my country or let’s have this meeting in a third country.’ I have also assigned my Foreign Minister to this issue. We want to start a new process by meeting with his interlocutors and hopefully overcome this resentment and bitterness.”