Syria (bbabo.net), - Syria is ready to restore relations with Turkey, provided that Ankara "stops its occupation of the northern Syrian regions and does not support terrorist groups in the SAR." This was announced to Izvestia on September 12 by the head of the international committee of the Syrian parliament, Butrus Marzhan.

“First of all, Turkey must admit that it is occupying foreign lands, harboring terrorist gangs classified as such by a UN Security Council resolution. In addition, Turkey must be ready to withdraw from the Syrian lands under occupation, and then yes, Syria will be ready to improve relations,” the parliamentarian stressed.

“If Turkey is ready for what I said earlier, then Syria is also ready to improve relations with Ankara. But for now, the obstacles that I mentioned still remain, and they are fundamental,” Marzhan added.

In March 2012, Ankara severed diplomatic relations with Syria and closed the embassy. On August 11, 2022, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu outlined this course more clearly.

"Ankara supports political reconciliation between the Syrian opposition and the Assad regime," the minister said.

At the same time, the politician specified that in October 2021 he met with Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mikdad - this was the first meeting of such high-ranking politicians of the two countries since the start of the civil war in the SAR in 2011.

Soon the statements became even more specific. On August 19, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that "diplomacy should never be cut off" with Damascus, and Ankara needs to "ensure further steps in [relations] with Syria." He clarified that Turkey does not aim to overthrow President Bashar al-Assad. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, after Erdogan's words, added that Ankara does not set preconditions for the restoration of dialogue with Damascus.

bbabo.Net