Türkiye, UN mull Syria's political settlement, reconstruction

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan held a telephone conversation with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres to discuss the ongoing situation in Syria.

The sides exchanged views on the political settlement and reconstruction efforts in Syria, Caliber.Az reports citing Turkish media.

During the conversation, they also assessed potential steps that the international community, led by the United Nations, could take to support a sustainable political transition in Syria, ensure the delivery of humanitarian aid, and facilitate the country's reconstruction.

Clashes broke out between Assad regime forces and anti-regime armed groups on November 27 in rural areas west of Aleppo, a major city in northern Syria.

On November 30, anti-regime groups took control of most of the center of Aleppo from regime forces, and on the same day, they gained control over all of Idlib province. On December 5, after fierce clashes, the groups took the city center of Hama from regime forces.

Anti-regime groups captured some settlements in the strategically important province of Homs, a gateway to the capital Damascus, and started to advance there.

On December 6, armed opposition groups launched an operation in Daraa province on Syria's border with Jordan and recaptured the city center from regime forces after clashes.

On December 7, the entire province of Suwayda in southern Syria also came under the control of opposition groups. On the same day, local opposition groups in Quneitra also took control of the provincial center.

In Homs, anti-regime forces took control of the provincial center on December 7.

Groups advancing against Assad regime forces entered the southern suburbs of Damascus later on December 7. Regime forces also withdrew from the defense and interior ministries and the international airport in Damascus.

As anti-regime armed groups started to dominate the capital, the Assad regime on December 8 morning quickly lost all control of the capital.

By Vafa Guliyeva