Syrian President Bashar al-Assad told a Russian envoy on Thursday that any rapprochement with Turkey must result in Turkish forces withdrawing from Syrian territory.
Alexander Lavrentiev, Russia’s special envoy for Syria, was in Damascus discussing Moscow’s efforts to broker talks between Ankara and Damascus. His visit came a few weeks after Moscow hosted the Syrian and Turkish defense ministers, the first such contact between Syria and Turkey since 2011.
Assad said that in order for these trilateral talks to be “fruitful,” the meetings should be based on “prior coordination and planning between Syria and Moscow.” He said the “occupation and support for terrorism” should be ended, referring to Turkey’s presence in Syria and its support for anti-government forces in the country.
There were rumors following the meeting in Moscow that Turkey agreed to withdraw from Syria, but sources told Middle East Eye that no deals were made, and there’s been no indication that Turkish troops are leaving Syria. But Turkey and Syria have both signaled they’re prepared for future talks, and Russia is trying to set up a meeting of the two country’s foreign ministers.
Reports have said the next meeting could happen in mid-January, but Russia’s Foreign Ministry said Thursday that a date hasn’t been set. “No, there is no concrete date yet. We have already talked about it, such a meeting is in the works,” Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.
Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan signaled Wednesday that he expects more talks, saying that more Syrian refugees will return to Syria as the engagement develops. “The number of refugees returning to their country will increase whenever the diplomatic contacts that Turkey has been conducting for some time with Russia and Syria bear fruit,” he said.
The US is discouraging Turkey from its rapprochement with Syria and reiterated that it opposes countries normalizing with Assad. The US maintains crippling economic sanctions on Syria with the purpose of preventing the country from rebuilding. The US also occupies eastern Syria and backs the Kurdish-led SDF in the region, allowing it to control an area where most of the country’s oil resources are.
The article had to throw a bone to the Anti US audience with the very last paragraph. Gotta always shift the blame.
“The US is discouraging Turkey from its rapprochement with Syria and reiterated that it opposes countries normalizing with Assad. The US maintains crippling economic sanctions on Syria with the purpose of preventing the country from rebuilding. The US also occupies eastern Syria and backs the Kurdish-led SDF in the region, allowing it to control an area where most of the country’s oil resources are.”
Debunk any of those claims. And are you in favor of any of those actions by the US? Which would make you what, pro-US?
Good thing you are not muted, you would’ve exploded otherwise. You definitely have a pattern supporting dictators. I’m sure you believe Assad is a great guy too.
Talk about not reading comments, nor articles.
Remember, the article was about Syria, Russia and Turkey, somehow, the writer decided to add US at the end for no reason. And that was my point.
I can blame the US for my right knee pain, and will most likely have your support.
Turkey has no reason to bend over backwards for the US. It will pull troops out if it benefits them only.
You need to let go of the idea that the US controls the entire world. It’s consuming your blog life. Look, even your name blames the US for everything.
Nice try.
“The US is discouraging Turkey from its rapprochement with Syria and reiterated that it opposes countries normalizing with Assad.”
Completely relevant to what is happening in Syria. And it’s IN the article. But sure, no reason to bring up the US. Tool.
And my name is as accurate as a name can possibly be. Do you want me to make a list?
Maybe the truth hurts.
Questioning the government and demanding reasonable explanations for its behavior does not make one “Anti-US”…
It is the very least we are entitled to…
We are actually “Pro-US”. Our largest demand is for our elected government and its officials to be held accountable for their words, deeds and actions. These are the basic rules in a law based society.
For me it’s pro-US but anti-empire.
Agreed. 🙂
For me is an anti US with excuses.
I know Pro US people, I know Anti War people, you are not one of them. Stop trying to mask it. You cannot fool me, not after I have read your posts for the last year and the posts you LIKED.
Nice try Donna.
Stick to your current mild anti US positions. At least you’ll be honest.
And don’t say ‘WE’ as if somehow this blog if full of pro US/Anti War people. No, this blog, especially the Ukraine war one, is Highly Pro Russia, Anti West/US/NATO.
pff, Pro US… lol,
If you are Pro US, then I am Ultra patriotic/Pro US.
Let anyone say anything negative about the US, and you’d like that comment. You even like the ‘Z’ avatar guy, what’s his name?, umm, Adolfo De Jesus, the Russian guy as wells as the other radical ones, Doom Stermz, IVAN, the list goes on.
I’m Pro-USA but I am anti-a–hole.
“He said the ‘occupation and support for terrorism’ should be ended, referring to Turkey’s presence in Syria and its support for anti-government forces in the country.” It’s not clear to me he did not also refer to the US. I’m not smart, but if you’re forcibly preventing people access to their own oil, I also must add wheat/food, you could be at least an economic terrorist. If you keep terrorizing an entire country and preventing it from eating and reconstructing, you could even qualify to graduate as a full fledged terrorist. But what do I know?
The so-called Global War on Terror was phony from the start. Is it just a coincidence that the seven nations Rumsfeld planned to “take out” back in 2001 are all Muslim? The Project for the New American Century (PNAC), that he belonged to, predicted that the shift [to American world hegemony] would come about slowly, unless there was “some catastrophic and catalyzing event, like a new Pearl Harbor.” That event of course was 9/11.
Why we have troops in Syria in the first place is deep and dark, and might be that Syria just happens to be part of Greater Israel, from the Nile to the Euphrates.
Spot on TC, spot on.
Syria was a host for terrorists since the 1960s.Now they are the victim?
That may or may not be true, but it doesn’t explain why the USA has had troops occupying Syria since the Obama administration. Could it have something to do with Syria being on Rumsfeld’s list of seven Muslim nations that PNAC wanted to “take out” back in 2001?
Syria as well as Iraq were on Rumsfeld’s list of countries to take out. He was more interested in battling Secular Muslim Nations than in battling Islamic Theocracies. He wanted there to be an endless clash of civilizations.
And somehow that makes starving Syrians today acceptable? As if the general population has any say in what their government is doing. I guess Americans should be sanctioned into economically ruin and misery, along with the possibility of millions starving to death, since their government destroyed the country of Iraq.
Wars, Jake is actually a robot programed to always support Israel no matter how absurd his arguments are. Zionism only makes sense to other Zionists.
Nicely said TC.
I keep thinking why there isn’t some way to penalize countries like the US for such actions, such as sanctions against Syria, occupying Syria…
We’re always promoting our ‘democratic values’ but we do not seem to practice them….
There is, the International Court of Justice at The Hague. Problem is, neither us or Israel will ever, ever be brought to justice… in this world.
You see, there is always a ‘catch’…..
“”another high-level meeting between Turkish and Syrian officials””
you couldn’t make this sh*t up
edit) my avatar is flipping all yalls the bird.
all yalls.
I’m enjoying being flipped off immensely… I think it should be a daily occurrence.
I’m guessing that Turkey wouldn’t have a problem withdrawing from Syria if Syria could assure that the Kurds would be neutralized.
The hubris and the hypocrisy in Washington is almost unfathomable. While criticizing Russia for invading Ukraine, the State Department seems to think there is nothing wrong with our invasion of Syria. And they are so full of themselves that State is telling other countries to not seek peace.
Notice that the USA as always opposes any peace deal, continues to occupy parts of Syria and steal its oil, and will never voluntarily leave a country it has not been invited to enter. What a surprise.
The only “crime” that Syria has “committed” is that of retaining its legitimate leader, and not one f*cking nation has a legitimate right to retain armed services there.
T’row da bums out, before Russia does.
It would have been a great winn for Syria if the turkish troups could withdraw from Syria, who has been in war now for twelve years. It will also be a big winn for Syria if Israel stops bombing Damaskus now and then.
I use to watch Fantasy Island too.
What the Turks take, they don’t give back. Assad will learn this very soon.
Erdogan wants to occupy Aleppo and annex northern parts of Syria. He can’t be trusted.