Russia proceeds from the fact that the initiatives to hold meetings between Turkey and Syria are the sovereign decision of the two countries, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Vershinin told Russian reporters on Monday following political consultations between Russia and Turkey in Istanbul.
"There seems to be an understanding in Turkey that it is necessary to normalize and maintain relations between Ankara and all neighboring countries in the region, including Syria. Judging by the reports, there is contact between Ankara and Damascus. We, I repeat, are in favor of normalizing relations. As regards the organization of meetings at various levels, including high-level meetings, we proceed from the fact that it is a decision of two sovereign states, in this case Turkey and Syria," he stressed.
Following the talks between Turkish and Russian Presidents Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Vladimir Putin in Sochi on August 5, Turkish media reported that Ankara was discussing the possibility of direct contacts between the Turkish and Syrian leaders. The Turkish authorities stated in this connection that such negotiations are not planned yet.
On October 6, following the European Political Community summit in Prague, Erdogan said that a meeting between him and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was out of the question now. He later said that such a meeting would take place "when the time comes." On November 27, Erdogan said that relations between Turkey and Syria could be established following Egypt's example. The two presidents met for the first time since 2013 in Qatar on November 19 at a ceremony marking the start of the World Cup and held half-hour talks. On November 28, the head of the Turkish MFA said about the possibility of appointing an ambassador to Egypt within the next few months.
GSV "Russia - Islamic world"
Photo: Russian Foreign Ministry
Based on materials from TASS