Turkey described Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s statements about the future of relations with it as “very positive” and that they serve the interests of both countries in ending the current conflict environment.
“Assad understood and realized what Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said about the possibility of meeting with Assad,” Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Guler said in an interview with the Turkish newspaper Hurriyet. He considered that “it would be in the interest of both countries to end this conflict environment as soon as possible and for the two countries to return to their normal activities in relations.”
He added, “There is no problem between us that is difficult to solve. I believe that after resolving the problems, we can continue our normal activities as two neighboring countries. Ankara and Damascus are capable of solving all the problems.”
On August 25, Assad told the Syrian People’s Assembly: “Any negotiation process needs a reference to rely on in order to succeed, and one of the reasons for not reaching results in previous meetings is the absence of a reference. Syria constantly stresses the necessity of Turkey’s withdrawal from the territories it occupies and the cessation of its support for terrorism.”
He added: “We did not occupy the lands of a neighboring country in order to withdraw, and we did not support terrorism in order to stop supporting it. The solution is to be frank and identify the location of the defect, not to be stubborn. Restoring the relationship requires first removing the reasons that led to its destruction.”
Last updated: August 31, 2024 – 12:01
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2024-08-31 13:06:25