Russia's special envoy for Syria, Alexander Lavrentiev, said on Thursday that Damascus finds it “difficult” to engage in dialogue with Ankara without guarantees from Türkiye regarding troop withdrawal.
“It is difficult for Damascus to enter into dialogue without receiving certain guarantees from Türkiye about the withdrawal of its troops,” the envoy said in an interview with the Russian news agency TASS.
On Wednesday, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan held a phone conversation with his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, diplomatic sources have said.
The conversation focused on bilateral relations and regional developments, including the Syrian crisis and the Russian-led normalization efforts between Ankara and Damascus.
Lavrentiev told TASS that there are no conditions for a meeting between Syria and Turkish Presidents.
Lavrentiev said it was too early to talk about high-level meetings between these two countries. “Certain communication is maintained between the defense ministers. But it is premature to expect communication at a higher level, like it was held virtually 18 months ago when meetings between the foreign and defense ministers of the four countries (Russia, Syria, Türkiye, and Iran) were organized,” he said.
The envoy cited various factors that influence this process, particularly Ankara’s support for the Syrian opposition. Also, according to Lavrentiev, “the main factor remains the withdrawal of the Turkish forces from Syria.”
He said, “Let us call things by their proper names – Türkiye is acting as an occupying power. That is why it is very difficult for Damascus to engage in dialogue without certain guarantees from Ankara concerning the withdrawal of its troops.”
