Esad announces his condition for meeting with Erdoğan

July 15, 2024 BTT

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Syrian President Bashar al-Assad stated that he would meet with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan only if fundamental issues are addressed. According to Assad, these fundamental issues include “the withdrawal of Turkish forces from Syria and the cessation of Ankara’s support for terrorism.”

Assad evaluated the agenda for a meeting with the President and AKP Chairman Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. According to a video released by the Syrian Presidency, Assad told journalists in Damascus, “The issue is not the meeting, but the content of the meeting.”

Assad said he could only meet with Erdoğan if “the two countries focus on fundamental issues such as Ankara’s support for terrorism and the withdrawal of Turkish forces from Syrian territory.”

“WHAT IS THE POINT IF THE ESSENCE OF THE ISSUE IS NOT DISCUSSED?”

Assad made the following statements: “What is the basis of the meeting? Is it to end the causes of the problem, such as supporting terrorism and withdrawing from Syrian territory? This is the essence of the issue. If the essence is not discussed, what is the point of such a meeting?” Assad added that he would respond positively to any initiative aimed at improving bilateral relations, but the foundation for such meetings must first be laid.

ERDOĞAN WANTS TO MEET WITH ASSAD

At the end of June, Erdoğan said there was no reason why Turkey’s relations with Syria should not be reestablished. Most recently, on July 12, Erdoğan made the following statements regarding a meeting with Assad:

“I assigned Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan to this task. My Foreign Minister will determine the entire roadmap by meeting with his counterparts. Accordingly, we will hopefully take steps. We believe that a fair peace is possible in Syria. We constantly emphasize that Syria’s territorial integrity is also in our interest. A just peace to be built in Syria will benefit us the most. We say that the most important step in this construction process is to start a new era with Syria. So far, this process has developed positively. I hope we will take concrete steps soon.”