The semi-official newspaper, al-Watan, responded to the recent remarks made by Mevlut Cavusoglu, the Turkish Foreign Minister, concerning the upcoming meetings of the “Road Map” committee aimed at normalizing relations between the two parties.
According to the newspaper, sources close to Ankara officials emphasized that “the initiation of the road map’s implementation hinges on the Turkish side taking substantial and tangible actions.”
“It’s too early to talk about it”
According to sources cited by the al-Watan newspaper, the notion of establishing a Syrian committee to oversee the preparation of the “road map” for enhancing relations with Turkey is considered premature.
The sources reiterated their stance on the Syrian regime’s prerequisites for progressing with the normalization process with Turkey, emphasizing that “Damascus will not compromise on its principles and steadfastness.”
These sources connected any advancement in Turkey-Syria relations to conditions such as “the cessation of Turkey’s occupation of Syrian territory, the termination of support for terrorism, and non-interference in Syria’s internal affairs.”
The Assad regime persists in delaying the dialogue with Turkey by imposing certain requirements that Ankara must fulfill before discussing the “road map” committee meeting.
In a recent development, the Turkish Foreign Minister engaged in a telephone conversation with his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, on Wednesday, during which they deliberated on the upcoming sessions of the Syria Quartet.
The “roadmap” committee, aimed at facilitating the normalization of relations between Turkey and the regime, is set to convene in the near future, as announced by Cavusoglu on Wednesday.
Cavusoglu was quoted by the Russian news agency TASS, stating that the committee will promptly commence preparing the roadmap.
According to the Turkish minister, the committee consists of representatives from Turkey, Russia, Iran, and the Assad regime, comprising four distinct bodies: the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Interior, the Intelligence Service, and the Ministry of Defense.
The composition of the committee was agreed upon during a foreign ministers’ meeting in Moscow two weeks ago, as disclosed by the Turkish minister.
Turkish and Russian foreign ministers hold talks on Syria
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu held a telephone conversation with his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, on Wednesday to discuss matters concerning the quadrilateral meeting on Syria held in Moscow.
The Turkish Foreign Ministry issued a statement addressing the discussions that took place during the quadripartite meeting on Syria in Moscow. This meeting involved the foreign ministers of Turkey, Russia, Iran, and the Syrian regime.
In a recent statement, Cavusoglu expressed that talks would be conducted with the Syrian regime to facilitate the repatriation of Syrians originating from areas under its control.
Cavusoglu emphasized in an interview with the Turkish website “Hurriyet” that the withdrawal of Turkish forces could be contingent upon combatting terrorism, reestablishing the political process in Syria, and ensuring the safe return of Syrian refugees to areas controlled by the regime.
This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
