Syria’s Assad refuses to meet Turkey’s Erdogan prior to troop withdrawal

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Syrian President Bashar al-Assad denied rumors of an upcoming meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in an interview published on Wednesday, blaming Ankara for the increase of violence in the country. 

Efforts have been underway in recent months to restore ties between Ankara and Damascus, under Russian and Iranian mediation. High-level meetings have also taken place between the Turkish and Syrian defense and foreign ministers, leading to expectations that the two leaders of the countries would also meet soon.

“Why would I and Erdogan meet? To drink refreshments?” Assad said in an interview with Sky News Arabia.

The Syrian president maintains that a meeting is not possible without the withdrawal of Turkish troops from Syria, and that discussions could only take place once a roadmap is put in place. 

“Our goal is [Turkey’s] withdrawal from Syrian territory, while Erdogan’s goal is to legitimize the presence of Turkey’s occupation in Syria,” Assad said. 

Turkey has been the main supporter of opposition fighters who have sought to oust Assad from power, and has carried out three major operations in northern Syria. Turkish forces and proxies also control parts of the north of the country. 

Last month, Erdogan said he is open for talks with Assad but that Turkish troops would not leave Syria. 

Turkey justifies its presence in Syria on the grounds of fighting “terrorism” on its borders. It has launched several military operations against Kurdish forces of the People’s Protection Units (YPG) - the backbone of the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces - viewed by Ankara as the extension of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).

“The truth is terrorism in Syria is an industry made and funded by Turkey. Jabhat al-Nusra and Ahrar al-Sham are different names for one side,” Assad said in response to Erdogan’s claiming Turkey will not withdraw from Syria as long as there are threats of terrorism along the border. 

Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), formerly known as al-Nusra Front, controls the northwestern province of Idlib and has fought the Syrian regime forces and Russia for years. It is recognized internationally as a terrorist organization.

Syria and Turkey first started moving closer following a devastating earthquake that rocked both countries in February, killing over 50,000 people. The tragedy also presented an opportunity for Arab states to start reconciling with Damascus, following over a decade of isolation. 

In May, Assad participated in an Arab League summit hosted by Saudi Arabia, marking a return to the Arab fold. The US, however, has maintained a firm position of its disapproval of a normalization of ties with Syria without a solution to the conflict. 

Civil war broke out in Syria 2011 following the Assad regime’s brutal crackdown on peaceful protests. The war has killed half a million people, displacing half of the country’s pre-war population, and destroying large parts of Syria. 

Updated at 10:19am with a corrected translation of a quote