Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan signalled a major shift in policy towards Syria in a statement on Friday. “There is no reason not to establish relations with Syria,” Erdoğan declared, marking a significant departure from previous confrontational rhetoric.
After breaking off relations with Syria during the civil war in 2011, Turkey backed various opposition groups against President Bashar al-Assad and conducted several cross-border military operations. These operations led to the occupation of areas previously populated by Kurds, displacing local residents and resettling the areas with Arabs, purportedly to establish a “safe zone” under Turkish control. Recently, in an effort to normalise relations with the Gulf nations, Turkey indicated it might restore ties with Damascus if Syria made progress in “fighting terrorism”, suggesting Assad should cooperate with Turkey’s campaign against the Kurds, which is aimed at undoing the autonomous status the Kurds have achieved since their successful fight against ISIS.
“We will continue to engage with Syria as we have in the past, working together in the same manner,” Erdoğan affirmed, addressing the press after Friday prayers, placing emphasis on a newfound openness to restoring diplomatic channels. Moreover, Erdoğan asserted that he had “no intention or goal of meddling in Syria’s internal affairs”.
This statement marks a significant departure from Turkey’s longstanding policy towards Syria, which since 2011 has not prioritised respect for Syrian sovereignty or friendly relations with local populations, especially the Kurds in the northern regions, as exemplified by several key demands made of the Assad regime by Turkish Defence Minister Yaşar Güler as conditions for normalising relations: “We expect the Syrian regime to adopt a new constitution, conduct free elections, and ensure that any elected government receives our respect. Ultimately, if necessary, we are prepared to withdraw, enabling the regime to secure its own territory,” he said in May.
On 27 June, Scharo Maroof of the Kurdistan Monitor shared footage showing that the border gate near Al-Bab, known as “Abu Zendan,” had been opened, allowing trucks loaded with goods to cross.
Maroof pointed to Turkey’s readiness to hand over control of its occupied territories to the Syrian president on condition that Assad engages in hostilities against the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). According to Maroof, part of this strategy is that the Assad regime sells its goods to Syrian merchants, who would then sell on to Turkish companies, thus bypassing sanctions. Factions of the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army (SNA) have begun road construction on the Azaz-Aleppo route to facilitate this trade.
This diplomatic U-turn echoes an earlier similar shift in policy by Erdoğan towards Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. After nine years of animosity, Erdoğan shook hands with Sisi at the 2022 World Cup opening in Qatar, after which a summit was held between the two leaders.
On 8 February 2012, Erdoğan vehemently criticised Assad, likening him to a dictator and a pharaoh. He condemned Assad for the Homs massacre that started on 3 February that year, stating, “Those who follow in their fathers’ [Hafez Assad’s] footsteps, those dictators, those pharaohs, they will surely meet the fate they deserve.” He added, “No oppression goes unpunished.”
Another factor behind this sudden thaw could be Turkey’s extensive offensive in Iraqi Kurdistan. Turkey may be aiming to streamline its efforts against Kurdish forces by cooperating with Assad, effectively delegating the role of controlling northern Syria, which is home to Rojava, or West Kurdistan, to Assad’s regime.
This shift from condemnation to cooperation highlights not only Erdoğan’s pragmatic approach to foreign policy, but also how the anti-Kurdish agenda controls the country’s internal and foreign affairs.
