Despite the continuation of media leaks during the past period in conjunction with the statements of Turkish officials described as positive about the indicators of rapprochement between Ankara and Damascus, the spokesman for the Turkish presidency, Ibrahim Kalin, on Tuesday, accused the Syrian state of “sabotaging the work of the Constitutional Committee.”
Kalin added during an interview with a local Turkish channel: “Turkey is running a political process in the Syrian issue. However, the Syrian state has not taken any constructive position on this.” He explained that “the path of Turkish-Syrian rapprochement is at a standstill, as there is no progress or regression,” calling for political steps to be taken in the coming days.
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He stressed that the contacts between Ankara and Damascus are taking place at the level of the intelligence services, but his country does not have plans in the near term to hold political contacts with Damascus. He noted that “Turkey’s messages to Syria are transmitted through Russia and Iran.”
Kalin said that “the legitimate Syrian opposition and other opposition groups do not trust the Syrian government, which has no desire to show cooperation with them.”
“Contacts with Syria will not affect Turkey’s potential military operation in Syria,” the Turkish presidential spokesman said, referring to the planned Turkish military operation in the cities of Manbij and Tal Rifaat.
In October, Ankara changed the three officials in the team in charge of the Syrian issue in the Turkish Foreign Ministry. This is a move that carried a lot of signs and indicators in the path of rapprochement with Damascus, according to observers.
The schedule of diplomatic movements of the Turkish diplomatic missions included the three officials of the Syrian file in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, namely: Deputy Foreign Minister Sadat Unal, the first official in charge of the issue, which was appointed permanent ambassador to the United Nations, Erdem Ozan in charge of it and was appointed ambassador to the Jordanian capital Amman, as well as Selcuk Unal, who assumed the post of the Turkish ambassador to The Hague.
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.
