Türkiye: Assad’s conditions for a meeting with Erdogan inappropriate to normalize relations between the two countries
The Turkish ruling AKP member, Orhan Miri Oglu, said in statements that the possibility of a meeting between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Syrian President Bashar al Assad is very low, and the matter will become clear after the presidential elections.
A member of the Central Decision and Implementation Authority of the Turkish ruling party “Justice and Development”, Orhan Miri Oglu, confirmed on Friday that Damascus’ conditions regarding negotiations between the two presidents, Assad and Erdogan, aren’t suitable for normalizing relations between the two countries, pointing to the possibility of holding a meeting between them after the Turkish presidential and the parliament elections, scheduled for May 14.
Miri Oglu said, “Assad demands Türkiye to withdraw from the Syrian lands, as a condition for normalizing relations with Türkiye isn’t permissible to raise the ceiling of demands in diplomatic relations with the beginning of the talks, in the event that the negotiating parties intend to reconcile, understand and find a solution to the differences.
He continued, “Assad’s start to set preconditions for talks with Türkiye gives the latter the right to demand that Damascus stop supporting the Syria Democratic Forces”.
Miri Oglu noted that the Syrian army runs part of the Syrian territory in cooperation with the Kurdish People’s Protection Units… So, what is the position of the armed organization of the Syria Democratic Forces in relation to the Syrian army?”
He pointed out that there’s talk about a meeting between Turkish President Erdogan and his Syrian counterpart Assad, and this talk is still in the rehabilitation phase, and in order for this meeting to take place, the two parties must use expressions that express their intention for reconciliation and rapprochement.
He added, “The possibility of a meeting between Erdogan and Assad before the Turkish elections is very low… As for their meeting after the elections, it will become clear according to the results of the elections and their balances”.
And he continued: “The conditions may be evaluated after the elections according to their results… If the People’s Alliance and its candidate for the presidential elections, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, win, he will follow a foreign policy different from that of the current AKP government, as the People’s Alliance pledges to withdraw from all countries that Türkiye aspires to strengthen relations with”.
