Ankara Says Has No Unsolvable Problem With Syria

Date: 31 August 2024 - 22:11

News ID: ۱۳۰۹۸۷

ANKARA (Dispatches) –
Turkish Defense Minister General Yaşar Güler stated on Saturday that Ankara and Damascus do not have any problems that cannot be solved.
General Güler explained about the prospects of relations between Turkey and Syria and said there is no problem between the two countries that cannot be solved.
After solving these problems, “I think we can continue our normal activities as two neighboring countries,” he added.
Earlier, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad stated in his speech in the Syrian Parliament that mediators from Russia, the Islamic Republic of Iran and Iraq have made efforts to establish reconciliation between Syria and Turkey, but no significant progress had been made in this regard.
Assad said, “For any normalization of relations to occur, Turkey must reverse the policies that have led to the current situation, including the withdrawal of Turkish forces from Syrian territory and the cessation of support for terrorist groups.”
Assad emphasized that such issues are not mere conditions but fundamental requirements for successful diplomacy.
The Syrian leader also called for a formal agreement between Damascus and Ankara, which would outline the principles for future negotiations and ensure that all steps are aligned with international law and the sovereignty of both countries.
A diplomatic source in Ankara told the Russian news agency RIA NOVOSTI it is likely that leaders of Turkey and Syria will meet and talk in a third country, but there are no details about the time and place of this possible meeting up to the present time.
The normalization of relations between Ankara and Damascus commenced on December 28, 2022, marked by a meeting in Moscow involving the defense ministers of Russia, Syria, and Turkey. The gathering represented the most significant dialogue between the two nations since the onset of the Syrian conflict.
Since 2016, Turkey has undertaken three significant ground operations targeting militants in northern Syria who are supported by the United States.
The Turkish government asserts that the U.S.-backed Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) militants have connections to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) militant group.
Syria considers the Turkish presence on its soil to be illegal, saying it reserves the right to defend its sovereignty against the occupying forces.