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Türkiye Says Ready to Hold Meeting between Erdogan, Assad

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan speaks during the Arab foreign minsters meeting at the Arab League headquarters in Cairo, Egypt, Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024. (AP)
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan speaks during the Arab foreign minsters meeting at the Arab League headquarters in Cairo, Egypt, Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024. (AP)
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Türkiye Says Ready to Hold Meeting between Erdogan, Assad

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan speaks during the Arab foreign minsters meeting at the Arab League headquarters in Cairo, Egypt, Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024. (AP)
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan speaks during the Arab foreign minsters meeting at the Arab League headquarters in Cairo, Egypt, Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024. (AP)

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan stressed on Thursday that Ankara is ready to hold a meeting between President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Syrian counterpart Bashar al-Assad.

Erdogan had previously expressed his readiness to meet with Assad. Fidan added: “Our president decided that this should happen now.”

Speaking to the Anadolu Agency, the FM said direct and indirect discussions have been ongoing between Ankara and Damascus for some time now.

On Syria, he explained that Türkiye wants an agreement between the government and opposition. The millions of Syrian refugees abroad must also be taken into consideration before relations are normalized between Ankara and Damascus.

“If Türkiye receives a solution that it wants, then Syria will be able to resolve other problems much easily,” he continued.

Türkiye is home to three million Syrian refugees, while five million are displaced in Syria in areas that are not under regime control.

Ankara wants a political solution in Syria to be based on United Nations Security Council resolution 2254. It is also demanding the elimination of terrorist threats and the safe return of refugees and delivery of humanitarian aid.

Meanwhile, an American delegation continued to hold talks in Türkiye for a third day. Discussions focused on the developments in Syria.

The delegation met with Defense Minister Yasar Guler in Ankara. On Tuesday, the delegation met with deputy Foreign Minister Nuh Yilmaz.

Turkish sources told Asharq Al-Awsat the talks focused on Turkish-Syrian relations, the political solution in Syria and Washington’s support to the Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and its impact on Türkiye's security.

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Berri to Asharq Al-Awsat: Temporary Ceasefire Call Marks Victory for Beirut Efforts

Smoke rises from the site of an Israeli airstrike targeting the southern suburbs of Beirut, Lebanon, on September 26, 2024 (AFP)
Smoke rises from the site of an Israeli airstrike targeting the southern suburbs of Beirut, Lebanon, on September 26, 2024 (AFP)
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Berri to Asharq Al-Awsat: Temporary Ceasefire Call Marks Victory for Beirut Efforts

Smoke rises from the site of an Israeli airstrike targeting the southern suburbs of Beirut, Lebanon, on September 26, 2024 (AFP)
Smoke rises from the site of an Israeli airstrike targeting the southern suburbs of Beirut, Lebanon, on September 26, 2024 (AFP)

Lebanese political and diplomatic activity is intensifying after the release of an “international-Arab call” for a ceasefire in Lebanon and Gaza.
“The key lies in implementation,” Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri told Asharq Al-Awsat, describing the call itself “a victory for Lebanon’s efforts.”
Berri highlighted the role of major players, especially the US, in convincing Israel to accept the ceasefire.
He pointed out that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “says one thing and its opposite,” while stressing that Lebanon is committed to the call’s principles and ready to act.
“There is no problem on the Lebanese side, as the international joint statement addressed both Gaza and Lebanon together,” Berri stressed.
A Lebanese source involved in negotiations at the UN indicated that the obstinacy of both Israel and Hezbollah had blocked a proposed solution.

Now, efforts are focused on establishing a temporary ceasefire to allow for negotiations regarding the crisis that erupted when Hezbollah, backed by Iran, engaged with Israel to support Gaza.
The source explained that the proposed solution involved a new UN resolution to reinforce Resolution 1701, effective since the end of the 2006 Lebanon War.
However, Hezbollah’s insistence on linking a ceasefire in Gaza to this proposal and Israel’s refusal to do so thwarted the plan.
The source expressed hope for a three-week temporary ceasefire, with negotiations led by US envoy Amos Hochstein between Beirut and Tel Aviv.
In New York, Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati held diplomatic discussions aimed at stopping the Israeli offensive against Lebanon, engaging with European and Arab officials during his visit.
Reports suggested that Mikati had “signed a proposed ceasefire agreement” after meeting US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and mediator Amos Hochstein.
However, the Prime Minister’s office denied these claims, asserting that they are “entirely untrue.”
The office reminded the public of Mikati’s remarks after the joint call initiated by the US and France, supported by the European Union and several countries, aimed at establishing a temporary ceasefire in Lebanon.
“We welcome the statement, but the crucial factor lies in Israel's commitment to implementing international resolutions,” said Mikati.
New York Meetings
Mikati met with Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides, who outlined Cyprus’s efforts to support Lebanon and facilitate a ceasefire, including his talks with Netanyahu.
The Lebanese premier also discussed the situation in Lebanon and the region with British Foreign Secretary David Lammy, highlighting Britain’s efforts to stop the fighting.
Additionally, Mikati met with Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, thanking Qatar for its support of Lebanon, particularly for its backing of the Lebanese army.
The Qatari Prime Minister briefed Mikati on ongoing ceasefire negotiations in Gaza and Qatar’s role in the international committee working to elect a new president for Lebanon.