Can Türkiye and Syria normalise their relations?
After more than a decade of diplomatic discord that put them on opposite sides in the Syrian conflict, Ankara and Damascus have recently moved to normalise relations as Syrian and Turkish defence ministers shook hands in MoscowThe tripartite meeting between the Turkish, Russian and Syrian defence ministers - Hulusi Akar, Sergei Shoigu and Ali Mahmoud Abbas - suggests that there could be an end to the brutal conflict in the Middle Eastern country.
The signs of a growing reconciliation between Ankara and Damascus come amid growing indications that Türkiye could launch ground operations against the YPG/PKK terror group operating from northern Syria. “There should be no resentment in politics,” Erdogan said after shaking hands with Egypt’s Abdel Fattah el Sisi last month during the FIFA World Cup opening ceremony.
During the meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Countries in Istanbul last month, Erdogan called on Muslim countries to help stabilise Syria. “This threat has become a common threat for Ankara and Damascus. Can we eliminate the hostility between us and cooperate against the YPG despite all the problems between us? Yes, we can,” says Agar. Turkish-Syrian cooperation might help Damascus regain its control of the eastern side of the Euphrates River, which is under the YPG dominance, ensuring the equal distribution of resources across all Syrian territories, says Ulas Pehlivan, another international security expert.
A durable Syrian settlement of internal problems is key to a long-term rapprochement between Ankara and Damascus, according to Pehlivan. In addition to the national reconciliation process, Pehlivan believes Syria can see Türkiye as a helpful partner and mediator between opposition groups and Damascus.
Agar believes that Türkiye’s preparation to launch another cross-border operation against the YPG has increased the traffic of talks between Moscow, Washington, Damascus and Ankara, raising the prospect of normalisation between the two neighbours.
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