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Syrian FM: No Normal Ties with Türkiye without End to Occupation 

Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mikdad speaks during a joint news conference with Iranian foreign minister Hossein Amirabdollahian in Damascus, Syria January 14, 2023. (Reuters)
Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mikdad speaks during a joint news conference with Iranian foreign minister Hossein Amirabdollahian in Damascus, Syria January 14, 2023. (Reuters)
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Syrian FM: No Normal Ties with Türkiye without End to Occupation 

Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mikdad speaks during a joint news conference with Iranian foreign minister Hossein Amirabdollahian in Damascus, Syria January 14, 2023. (Reuters)
Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mikdad speaks during a joint news conference with Iranian foreign minister Hossein Amirabdollahian in Damascus, Syria January 14, 2023. (Reuters)

Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mikdad said on Saturday that Türkiye would have to end its military presence in his country to achieve a full rapprochement. 

"We cannot talk about resuming normal ties with Türkiye without removing the occupation," he said after meeting his Iranian counterpart in Damascus. 

Türkiye has been a major backer of the political and armed opposition to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad during the 12-year conflict in Syria, and has sent its own troops into swathes of the country's north. 

Russia, a key ally of Assad, is supporting a rapprochement between Damascus and Ankara, hosting talks between their defense ministers last month and aiming for meetings between the foreign ministers and eventually presidents. 

Mikdad said on Saturday "a meeting between Assad and the Turkish leadership depends on removing the reasons for the dispute," without providing more details or mentioning Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan by name. 

Mekdad was speaking after meeting in Damascus with Hossein Amirabdollahian, the foreign minister of Assad’s other main ally, Iran. 

Amirabdollahian, who also met Assad on Saturday, said on Friday that Iran was "happy with the dialogue taking place between Syria and Türkiye". 

Assad said on Friday the results should be based on the principle of ending the occupation and support for terrorism, a term that Syrian authorities use to refer to all opposition armed groups. 

A source with close knowledge of the negotiations said Syria wanted Türkiye to pull its troops from swathes of the north and to halt support to three main opposition factions. 

The source said Syria was keen to see progress on those demands through follow-up committees before agreeing to a foreign ministers' meeting. 

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Thursday he could meet Mikdad early in February, rejecting reports the two could meet next week. 

Syria has made no official comment on the timing of any such meeting, which would mark the highest-level talks between Ankara and Damascus since the Syrian war began in 2011. 

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Barzani in Baghdad for ‘Decisive Settlement’ after ‘Exceptional Welcome'

Baghdad shows great interest in Barzani’s visit (government media)
Baghdad shows great interest in Barzani’s visit (government media)
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Barzani in Baghdad for ‘Decisive Settlement’ after ‘Exceptional Welcome'

Baghdad shows great interest in Barzani’s visit (government media)
Baghdad shows great interest in Barzani’s visit (government media)

The Iraqi government and the Coordination Framework parties welcomed the head of the Kurdistan Democratic Party, Masoud Barzani, with an exceptional reception, as shown in photos published by official websites.
Barzani arrived in Baghdad, ending a 6-year rupture imposed by the deep disputes between Erbil and the federal government, over a wide range of fundamental matters.
At the beginning of his visit, Barzani met with Prime Minister Mohammad al-Sudani, before holding talks with a large number of officials and leaders of political parties and blocs.
“My visit to Baghdad aims to strengthen the efforts made by the Prime Minister which led to a real breakthrough between the federal government and the region,” he said during his meeting with Sudani and other Iraqi officials.
He pointed to “constructive” dialogue and “identical views” regarding internal and regional issues.
For his part, Sudani emphasized the importance of Barzani’s visit to Baghdad.
“We held a constructive and purposeful dialogue on various internal issues and regional developments,” he stated.
Barzani also met with the head of the Judicial Council. A press statement said the two officials “discussed important legal and judicial files related to developing the work of the judiciary in the Kurdistan region.”
Later on Wednesday, the Iraqi prime minister threw a banquet in honor of Barzani, a government statement said. Footage published by government media showed the presence of prominent leaders in the Coordination Framework, including Nouri al-Maliki and Ammar al-Hakim.
For its part, the Coordination Framework welcomed Barzani’s visit. Coalition member Ayed Al-Hilali said that the leader of the Kurdistan Democratic Party came to Baghdad carrying “many solutions,” local media reported.
“Barzani’s visit at this time is very important for resolving the outstanding problems between Baghdad and Erbil... and for bringing viewpoints closer on many disputed issues,” he remarked.
Relations between Baghdad and Erbil have witnessed relative improvement since May, when the Federal Court overturned a previous ruling to abolish the “quota” for minorities in the regional parliament elections and paved the way for the return of the Kurdistan Democratic Party to the electoral race.
Meanwhile, the media advisor to the leader of the Democratic Party, Kifah Mahmoud, stressed that the relationship between Erbil and Baghdad was never interrupted, as mutual visits between the two sides took place throughout this period.
However, he told Asharq Al-Awsat: “The relationship was marred by serious complications that reached their peak after Baghdad used the armed forces in the political conflict with the region, as happened in the invasion of Kirkuk and the rest of the disputed areas in 2017.”
Mahmoud agreed that Barzani’s visit would constitute a “decisive settlement” by the Kurdish leader with the political officials in Baghdad, and would pave the way for addressing outstanding problems regarding the Nineveh Provincial Council, regional elections and security conditions.