Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said on Monday he would not meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan unless the two countries could focus on the core issues of Ankara’s support for “terrorism” and the withdrawal of Turkish forces from Syrian territory.
The Syrian presidency published a video clip in which Assad appeared telling journalists in Damascus, “But the problem is not in the meeting, but in its content.”
Turkey severed ties with Syria in 2011 after the outbreak of the Syrian civil war, in which Ankara backed the opposition seeking to oust Assad. The Syrian president considers the opposition forces terrorists.
Ankara has also established a “safe zone” in northern Syria where Turkish forces are now stationed, and has carried out several cross-border military operations against militants it says threaten Turkish national security.
Erdogan said earlier in July he would invite Assad “at any time” for possible talks to restore relations.
Assad asked in the video, “What is the reference for the meeting? Will this reference be to eliminate or end the causes of the problem, which are represented by supporting terrorism and withdrawing from Syrian territory? This is the essence of the problem.”
He added, “If there is no discussion about this essence, what does the meeting mean?”
Assad indicated that he would respond positively to any initiative aimed at improving bilateral relations, but with the need to first determine a basis for such talks.
Source: Reuters
