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Turkey Conditions Syrian Opposition's Integration for Withdrawal of Troops from Northern Syria
After Syrian President Bashar al-Assad set the withdrawal of Turkish forces from northern Syria as a fundamental precondition for any agreement with Ankara, the Turkish response came swiftly.
In an interview with a local television channel, Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Güler confirmed that Turkish forces will not withdraw from Syria unless certain conditions are met—specifically, the integration of Syrian opposition forces stationed in the north into the Syrian army, making them part of Syria's future.
Güler regarded this condition as positive for Assad, especially since the Syrian army does not control those areas. He stated that if Turkey's condition is implemented, these Syrians will continue to be part of their homeland.
Regarding the potential meeting between Assad and Erdoğan, as well as the repeated Turkish invitations for such a meeting, Güler remarked that Assad should "seize the opportunity to save his torn country." He noted that the Turkish offer represents a chance for a shift towards peace in the Middle East, which has become a hotspot for conflicts, expressing his belief that "Assad will make good use of it."
These statements come amid recent weeks of Turkish calls to resolve the relationship with Assad and resume communications between the two countries, as the Turkish president has repeatedly invited his Syrian counterpart to visit Turkey or arrange a joint meeting aimed at ending the current estrangement, expressing a desire to usher in a new chapter in Turkish-Syrian relations.
In contrast, President Bashar al-Assad indicated Syria's openness to all initiatives related to its relationship with Turkey, provided that these initiatives respect the sovereignty of the Syrian state through the withdrawal of Turkish forces from the areas they control.
It is noteworthy that since the onset of the conflict in Syria in 2011, Ankara has provided substantial support to the political and military opposition. Additionally, Turkey has conducted three major military operations in Syria since 2016, primarily targeting Kurdish fighters, and has managed to seize control of large areas of border territory in northern Syria with the assistance of allied Syrian factions.
Clearly, Damascus is conditioning the complete withdrawal of Turkish troops as a prerequisite for any future negotiations.
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