The agenda for the upcoming talks between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin at the BRICS summit in Kazan is expected to be packed, with one of the main issues being the normalization of relations between Turkey and Syria, according to Turkey's pro-government newspaper Hurriyet.
The publication notes that a wide range of topics will be discussed, from developments in the Middle East to the Ukraine conflict, bilateral trade between Turkey and Russia, and US statements regarding the S-400 missile system. However, the issue of Syria will be a central topic in these discussions.
Hurriyet also recalls earlier reports suggesting a possible meeting between Erdogan and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in Kazan. However, citing sources, the paper states that "such a meeting is not on the agenda in the short term." According to the report, Damascus has yet to respond "decisively to Erdogan's positive overtures [toward al-Assad]". As the newspaper notes, "foreign sources involved in the four-way negotiations on Syria say that Turkey's demand for democratic elections and the adoption of a new constitution is currently met with apprehension by al-Assad." If he opens Syria's borders to returning refugees, especially those opposed to him, "the elections could turn against him," and there is also the possibility that "the opposition could form a political party to challenge al-Assad."
Nevertheless, Hurriyet columnist Hande Firat emphasizes, "Russia's influence on al-Assad's decision to meet with Erdogan will be significant. This is why the Syrian issue will be one of the most important topics at the Erdogan-Putin meeting."
On June 28, Erdogan expressed his willingness to restore diplomatic relations with Damascus, which were severed in 2012. On July 12, he tasked Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan with preparing a roadmap for the normalization process. According to Erdogan, dialogue between Ankara and Damascus should take place without preconditions, including those concerning Turkey’s military presence in Syria.
In early August, Russia's Special Representative to the Middle East and Africa, Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov told reporters that Moscow supports the normalization of relations between Turkey and Syria, as well as advancing the negotiation process and preparing for a meeting between the two countries' leaders. However, he noted that such a meeting would require serious preparation.
Subsequently, media reports, including Turkish outlets, suggested that Erdogan and al-Assad could meet for the first time in 11 years at the BRICS summit in Kazan.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Based on materials from TASS