Turkey says no preconditions for 'goal-oriented' dialogue with Syria

Turkey does not have preconditions for dialogue with the Syrian government, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu announced on Tuesday, stressing that talks should be goal-oriented.

Ankara cut its diplomatic relations with Damascus in 2011 in the initial stage of the protracted foreign-backed war and backed forces that sought to topple the democratically-elected government of Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad.

However, in recent months, Turkey has made soft overtures to the Assad government in an attempt to open a new chapter in their relations. 

“There cannot be a condition for dialogue but what are the aim of these contacts? The country needs to cleared of terrorists... People need to be able to return,” Cavusoglu said in his remarks.

“No conditions for dialogue but what is the aim, the target? It needs to be goal-oriented,” he hastened to add.

There also confirmed reports doing rounds about contact between the Syrian and Turkish intelligence services.

The top Turkish diplomat, however, said no meeting will take place between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Syrian counterpart during the upcoming Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in September, “because the latter will not be attending the Shanghai summit”.

Erdogan's ally to visit Damascus, hold talks with Assad later this month: Report

The chairman of Turkey’s left-wing Patriotic Party is slated to visit neighboring Syria, where he is scheduled to meet and hold talks with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Last week, reports said Dogu Perincek, a close ally of Erdogan, will travel to the Syrian capital Damascus within the next 10 days. He will be accompanied by Turkish businessman Ethem Sancak, who is considered to have close ties with Erdogan.

The developments reveal the softening of Ankara’s stance towards the Syrian government after more than a decade of tensions. 

Speaking to reporters last week, Turkish President said it is Washington and its allied forces that “primarily feed terrorism” in Syria.

Countless reports have emerged over the years revealing the US military’s support for terrorist groups, including Daesh, in Syria and Iraq.

“They did it brutally and they still do it,” Erdogan said. “They did not get tired of it, and they also made the same feeding in Iraq. To whom? Again to terrorist organizations. If there is unrest in Iraq today, unfortunately, America lies behind it.”

He claimed that Ankara’s main contention is the fight against terrorism in northern Syria, adding that Turkey is ready for a military operation against terrorist groups in the Arab country.

Turkish president also said Ankara is not eyeing Syria and that Syria’s territorial integrity is important to Turkey.

Ankara-backed militants were deployed to northeastern Syria in October 2019 after Turkish military forces launched a long-threatened cross-border invasion in a declared attempt to push YPG fighters away from border areas.

Ankara views the YPG as a terrorist organization tied to the homegrown Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which has been seeking an autonomous Kurdish region in Turkey since 1984.

Both Iran and Russia, which have been aiding Damascus in its anti-terror campaign, have warned Turkey against launching such an offensive.

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