Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad, during a joint press conference with his Iranian counterpart Ali Bagheri Kani in Damascus, stated that Syria cannot normalize relations with Turkey as long as Turkish troops continue to occupy the northern parts of the country.
"The fundamental prerequisite for any dialogue with Ankara is the complete withdrawal of Turkish troops from Syrian territory," - Mekdad stressed. - "We demand clear Turkish commitments to withdraw from our occupied lands and cease their support for terrorist organizations."
Iranian Foreign Minister Bagheri Kani affirmed Iran's support for Syria's territorial integrity and the restoration of its sovereignty over all areas. "Iran stands united with the governments of Syria and Iraq in their fight against terrorism," he added.
The situation in northeastern Syria has escalated following Ankara's declarations that Turkey will not allow local elections to take place on June 11 in areas under the control of Kurdish militias from the Forces for Democratic Syria.
In 2018, Turkey occupied the Kurdish-populated Afrin region in northern Syria, and in 2019, during the "Source of Peace" military operation, established a 30-kilometer security zone along the Syrian-Turkish border. Ankara considers the Democratic Union party, which governs the autonomous administration in Qamishli (Hasakeh province), to be an offshoot of the Kurdistan Workers' Party, which is outlawed in Turkey.
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Photo: anjči/Creative Commons 2.0
Based on materials from TASS