Minister: Türkiye, Syria may engage in ministerial-level discussions to normalise ties

Turkish Defence Minister Yasar Guler has indicated that Türkiye and Syria could engage in ministerial-level discussions to normalise relations if appropriate conditions are established.

Last month, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan announced plans to invite Syrian President Bashar al-Assad for talks aimed at restoring diplomatic ties, which were severed following the onset of the Syrian war in 2011, Caliber.Az reports citing the foreign media.

However, Assad has stated that talks can only proceed if the discussions address key issues, including the withdrawal of Turkish forces from northern Syria.

Türkiye's main concern is that Kurdish organisations linked to the banned Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) operate in northern Syria. These groups could potentially gain representation in local governance, which Türkiye views as a threat to its national security and counter-terrorism efforts, and could even lead to the fragmentation of Syria.

The armed conflict with the PKK began in Türkiye in 1984 and intensified in 2015. The party's bases in northern Iraq are targeted by Turkish Armed Forces through air and ground operations.