Turkish Defense Minister: Here are Türkiye’s conditions to withdraw its forces from Syria
Turkish Defense Minister Yaşar Güler confirmed that the withdrawal of Turkish forces from Syria is linked to the fulfillment of several conditions, most notably the adoption of a new constitution in Syria and ensuring the security of the borders between the two countries.
In a statement made by Güler during an interview with Reuters, he explained that Türkiye is ready to support the adoption of a comprehensive constitution, the holding of free elections, and the creation of an environment of security and normalization in Syria.
He added that the withdrawal of Turkish forces will only be possible when these conditions are met and the security of the Turkish borders is fully guaranteed, in coordination with the relevant parties.
It’s noteworthy that relations between Türkiye and Syria, which were close before the outbreak of the conflict in 2011, deteriorated significantly after Ankara sided with the opponents of Syrian President Bashar al Assad.
However, recent efforts have been made to normalize relations between the two countries, as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan indicated that Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan is working on a plan to normalize relations and hold negotiations between the leaders of the two countries, possibly in a third country.
For its part, the Syrian Foreign Ministry stressed that any normalization of relations must be based on a return to the status quo that existed before 2011.
The Syrian President Bashar al Assad also expressed his readiness to meet his Turkish counterpart if that served Syria’s national interests.
