ANKARA
The Turkish Foreign Minister met with representatives of the Syrian opposition on Thursday to discuss the latest developments in the Syrian conflict, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said.
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Hakan Fidan held talks with Hadi Al Bahra, Chairman of the Syrian Opposition Coalition (SOC), Bader Jamous, Chairman of the Syrian Negotiations Commission (SNC), and Abdurrahman Mustafa, Head of the Syrian Interim Government (SIG).
During the meeting, Turkey reiterated its support for efforts to engage in “substantive, realistic dialogue and negotiations” to pave the way for a comprehensive political solution within the framework of UN Security Council Resolution 2254.
Turkey and Syria have been at odds since the Arab Spring uprisings of 2011, which plunged Syria into a protracted and devastating conflict. The war has cost hundreds of thousands of lives, numerous foreign powers are involved in the war, and the country is fragmented.
Direct talks between Turkish and Syrian officials in 2022, mediated by Russia, ended in failure as Damascus insisted on the withdrawal of Turkish forces from Syrian territory.
Turkey, which is home to more than 3.6 million Syrian refugees, has stressed the importance of peace efforts in its neighbouring country.
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President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has long indicated that he may reconsider his relationship with Assad.
In a gesture of reconciliation towards Damascus, Erdoğan said in early July that he could invite Assad to Turkey “at any time”.
