Türkiye receives no message from Syrian leader during Iranian FM's visit

Türkiye did not receive any messages from Syrian President Bashar al-Assad during the visit of Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi to Ankara.

On December 1, Araghchi visited Damascus, where he held talks with President Bashar al-Assad. On December 2, he met with his Turkish counterpart, Hakan Fidan, in Türkiye. The main topic of their discussions was the sharp escalation of the situation in Syria, Caliber.Az reports, citing Turkish media.

However, it was interesting whether Bashar al-Assad would request a meeting with Turkish authorities. However, neither the Russian nor Iranian foreign ministers commented on this. The Iranian minister did not bring a message from Assad to Ankara.

Earlier, Turkish media reported that Bashar al-Assad was seeking contacts with Türkiye amid the escalating situation in Syria. It was noted that the Syrian leader had sent an offer for negotiations to Istanbul through intermediaries.

On November 27, rebel forces launched a major offensive, capturing parts of Aleppo, the country's second-largest city, for the first time since 2016. After three days of intense fighting, Syrian government forces withdrew from the city on November 30.

The offensive coincided with the redeployment of pro-Iranian militias, including Hezbollah, which have traditionally supported the Assad regime but are now engaged in the conflict with Israel. Without their backing, government troops were unable to resist the rebel advance effectively.

By Naila Huseynova