Syria’s Assad open to talks with Erdogan, stresses key conditions

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad expressed openness to meeting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday but stressed that the encounter’s “content” is crucial, particularly concerning Türkiye’s presence in Syria.

Earlier this month, Erdogan suggested a potential invitation for Assad to visit Türkiye, signaling a possible reconciliation after years of strained relations following the outbreak of the Syrian war in 2011.

“If the meeting were to lead to results or… achieve the country’s interests, I will do it. But the problem… lies in the content of the meeting,” Assad stated to journalists in Damascus during parliamentary elections.

Initially, Erdogan supported rebel efforts to oust Assad, but in recent years, he has reversed his stance. Both nations engaged in Russian-mediated talks last year as part of the reconciliation process.

Since 2016, Türkiye has conducted multiple ground operations aimed at removing the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) from northern Syria. Pro-Turkish forces now control significant areas along the Syrian border.

Assad questioned whether the meeting’s “reference points” would address the root issues, including “support for terrorism” and Türkiye’s military presence in Syria, which he described as “the essence of the problem.”

“We are positive towards any initiative to improve the relationship… but that doesn’t mean we go (to a meeting) without rules,” Assad added.

Erdogan has recently focused on preventing the establishment of what he terms a “terror corridor” in northern Syria. Türkiye views the YPG, which dominate the SDF, as an extension of PKK.

The PKK terrorist organization has been waging a terror campaign against Turkey for more than 40 years. It has branches in both Iraq and Syria. About 40,000 individuals, including women and children, have died as a result of this group, which is classified as a terrorist organization by Türkiye, the US, and the EU.

With U.S. support, the SDF played a leading role in the campaign that ousted Islamic State group fighters from their final strongholds in Syria in 2019.

Erdogan has indicated a willingness to reconsider ties with Assad as part of his government’s efforts to facilitate the safe and voluntary return of Syrian refugees, who number approximately 3.2 million in Turkey according to the United Nations.

On Saturday, Erdogan announced the nearing conclusion of operations against PKK fighters in northern Iraq and Syria, stating that the PKK had been “completely trapped” and Turkish forces were “all over them.” He also emphasized the intention to “complete the missing points of the security corridor along our southern border with Syria.”

The Syrian civil war, which began with the suppression of anti-government protests, has claimed over 500,000 lives and displaced millions, evolving into a complex conflict involving foreign armies and jihadist groups.