Assad is ready to meet with Erdogan only after the withdrawal of Turkish troops from Syria

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said he would meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan only after Turkish troops leave his country. In his opinion, such negotiations should put an end to the military conflict in Syria.

“As for the meeting with Erdogan, this is connected with reaching the stage when Turkey will be ready in a clear form and without any uncertainty for a complete withdrawal from the territory of Syria, the cessation of support for terrorism and the return of the situation to what it was before the start of the war in Syria. This is the only option in which my meeting with Erdogan can take place,” Bashar al-Assad said. “RIA News”.

“Besides, what is the value of such a meeting and why arrange it if it does not lead to final results for the war in Syria?” he added. Mr. Assad also called Turkey an “occupying state” and said that its actions, including support for groups that Damascus considers terrorist, had a negative impact on the war in Syria.

Bashar al-Assad also said that he trusts Russia, as it works as an intermediary between Syria and Turkey on the issue of resolving the conflict. “To this end, Russia is working together with Syria, making attempts to resolve the sites in Geneva, Astana and other cities. All of these have one goal – to restore stability in Syria,” he added.

At the same time, Mr. Assad said that the Russian military presence in Syria should not be temporary and be limited only to the fight against terrorism. “The fight against terrorism is today’s topic, but it is temporary. The Russian military presence in any country should not be based on anything temporary. We are talking about international balance, and the presence of Russia in Syria has a meaning related to the balance of power in the world as a country located on the Mediterranean Sea,”— said He.

Bashar al-Assad yesterday, March 15, held talks in Moscow with Russian President Vladimir Putin. He arrived in Russia for the first time since the beginning of the Russian military operation in Ukraine. In Moscow, Mr. Assad said that he supported the entry of Russian troops into Ukraine and the annexation of new territories.

About his visit – in the material “Kommersant” “Visit in the form of gratitude.”

Olesya Pavlenko