Syrian President Bashar al-Assad announced on Sunday that efforts to reconcile with Turkey have stalled, despite mediation initiatives from Russia, Iran and Iraq. Speaking to the People’s Council in Damascus, Assad stressed, “We responded positively to the initiatives, but no progress has been made, despite the sincerity of the mediators,” according to a report by RIA Novosti.
Assad directly refuted Ankara’s claims that Syria has refused to negotiate until Turkish troops withdraw from Syrian territory. He underscored that any reconciliation effort must be grounded in the principle of sovereignty, which he views as non-negotiable.
Relations between Syria and Turkey have been strained since the outbreak of the Syrian conflict in 2011, which led to a severance of diplomatic ties and Turkey’s ongoing support for Syrian armed opposition groups. Turkish forces remain present in northern Syria, a situation that Damascus views as an illegal occupation.
A diplomatic source in Ankara suggested that talks between Assad and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan could still be possible, potentially in a third country, but no specifics have been provided.
Turkey’s Foreign Minister, Hakan Fidan, had previously expressed hope that Russia and Iran could facilitate the normalisation of ties with Syria. However, he also made it clear that Ankara would maintain its support for the Syrian opposition.
Assad reiterated that any talks with Erdoğan would need to focus on key issues such as Turkey’s support for groups Syria considers terrorists and the withdrawal of Turkish troops. “The problem is not the meeting, but its content,” Assad remarked earlier, indicating that a meaningful dialogue would require addressing these core issues.
The relationship between the two countries remains complicated by Turkey’s military actions in northern Syria, where it has established a “safe zone” and conducted multiple cross-border operations, which Ankara justifies as necessary for national security. Despite these tensions, Erdoğan has stated that he remains open to improving relations with Syria if Assad is willing to engage in dialogue.
