Syria will not normalize ties with Turkey – Syrian FM
DAMASCUS, Syria (North Press) – Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad said on Sunday that Damascus will not normalize relations with Ankara which “occupies” parts of Syria.
Mekdad, whose remarks came today during an interview with the Russian state-owned RT network, said, “Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s meeting with his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, is contingent on the withdrawal of Turkish forces from Syrian territory.”
Speaking about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Mekdad stressed that Damascus has been and continues to support Moscow’s military operation. “We renew our support for the Russian special military operation.”
On May 19, al-Assad attended his first Arab Summit – which was held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia – in 12 years, following a formal invitation from Riyadh. Prior to the meeting, Syria regained its seat in the Arab League on May 7 after more than a decade of suspension.
Turkey, which controls around 9 percent of Syria’s territory, does not seem to rush in thawing ties with the Syrian government. It also has abstained, implicitly, to meet Damascus’ demands.