Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced on Sunday that he plans to extend an invitation to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad for talks aimed at restoring relations between the two neighboring countries. This move marks a significant step towards reconciliation after years of strained ties following the Syrian civil war.
Erdogan stated, “We will extend our invitation (to Assad); with this invitation, we want to restore Turkey-Syria relations to the same level as in the past. Our invitation may be extended at any time.”
The Turkish President also mentioned that Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Iraqi Prime Minister could play a role in facilitating these talks. This potential diplomatic engagement comes after Turkey severed ties with Syria in 2011 and supported rebels seeking to oust Assad.
Syrian officials, however, have indicated that any normalization of ties would require Turkey to withdraw its troops from the rebel-held northwest of Syria.
This development could pave the way for a new chapter in Turkey-Syria relations, with significant implications for regional stability and cooperation.