Will there be a meeting between President Erdogan and Bashar al-Assad in coming days?
AKP leader and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad were seen in the same frame during the Extraordinary Joint Summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the Arab League held in Riyadh. While the AKP’s Syria policy has recently evolved into a call for dialogue, the Syrian government accuses Ankara of trying to legitimize its presence in Syria.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan attended the Extraordinary Joint Summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the Arab League held in the Saudi capital Riyadh.
ERDOGAN POSED FOR A “FAMILY PHOTO” WITH LEADERS, INCLUDING ASSAD
The “Extraordinary Joint Summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the Arab League,” began in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Leaders of OIC member countries are holding an extraordinary meeting in Riyadh today to discuss Israel’s ongoing attacks on the besieged Gaza Strip, where it has been using tens of thousands of tons of bombs for 36 days. In the summit, Erdoğan is expected to hold bilateral meetings with participating leaders.
It is noteworthy that Erdoğan and Bashar al-Assad are participating in the joint summit together, raising questions about whether the two leaders will have a meeting.
SHARP TURN IN SYRIA POLICY
The AKP government, which broke the ropes with the Assad government After the civil war that started in 2011, has recently increased the steps of dialogue with the Syrian government. Dialogue call of Erdogan who supported Syrian opposition groups and calls Assad (whom he called my brother in the past) a “terrorist,” marks a sharp turn regarding his Syria policy.
While it has long been a question whether there will be a dialogue at the leadership level on the Ankara-Damascus line, Bashar al-Assad has stated that he does not welcome a meeting with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Accusing Ankara of trying to legitimize its presence in Syria, Assad frequently emphasizes that a meeting will not take place under Erdoğan’s conditions.
