Normalization with Syria not on agenda at Turkish Security Council meeting
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – The Turkish National Security Council convened its first meeting of 2023 on Wednesday. One important point was missing from the agenda which is the normalization of relations with Syria.
In weeks prior, Turkish media had reported that Ankara’s efforts to normalize relations with the al-Assad government would top the council’s agenda.
After Wednesday’s meeting, a statement released by the council addressed Turkey’s position on Sweden and Finland joining NATO, the Turkish-Greek relationship, Turkey’s efforts in confronting groups it deems ‘terrorists’, as well as the Syrian issue.
“Countries willing to join NATO must act in accordance with the law and spirit of the alliance,” the statement read.
The statement stressed that the National Security Council assessed the important political, economic and military developments for Turkish national security in 2022.
The meeting also addressed the likely challenges the country would face in 2023 and measures it should take to counteract them.
The council noted that the elimination of “terrorist organizations” will open the way for a comprehensive solution in Syria based on the integrity of the Syrian territory. However, it did not address the rapprochement with the al-Assad government.
In recent days, the much-publicized Turkish-Syrian normalization disappeared from Turkish news cycles.
Some attributed the change of heart to the strong conditions Syrian President Bashar al-Assad had placed on any diplomatic process, while others say it may be linked to the Turkish Foreign Minister’s recent visit to Washington DC and Western pressure against this move.