Syrian President Bashar Assad said in an interview with Sputnik that he was ready to meet with his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, only after the withdrawal of Turkey's troops from the territory of Syria. "As regards a meeting with Erdogan, it is linked to the reaching of a stage when Turkiye is clearly and unambiguously ready for the full withdrawal of the Turkish military from the territory of Syria, for the cessation of supporting terrorism and restoration of the situation to the state it was before the start of the war in Syria," Assad said.
"This is the only option in which my meeting with Erdogan can take place. ...Besides that, what is the purpose of this meeting, and what is the point of organizing it if it will not result in the conclusion of the war in Syria?", Assad asked.
The president said that Ankara played a negative role in the war in Syria by supporting organizations Damascus deems to be terrorists, and by deploying troops on Syrian territory. "Turkey for us is an occupying state," Assad said. The Syrian president noted Russia's important role as a mediator in maintaining good relations with both the Syrian and Turkish sides.
