Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad (3rd R) and his visiting Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir-Abdollahian (3rd L) attend a joint press conference in Damascus, Syria, Jan. 14, 2023.
Faisal Mekdad on Saturday said that Türkiye should show "absolute positiveness," mainly by ending its occupation of Syrian territories, in order to restore its relations with Syria.
Mekdad made the remarks at a joint press conference with his visiting Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir-Abdollahian in the Syrian capital of Damascus following Amir-Abdollahian's meeting with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. (Photo by Ammar Safarjalani/Xinhua)
DAMASCUS, Jan. 14 (Xinhua) -- Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad on Saturday said that Türkiye should show "absolute positiveness," mainly by ending its occupation of Syrian territories, in order to restore its relations with Syria.
Mekdad made the remarks at a joint press conference with his visiting Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir-Abdollahian in the Syrian capital of Damascus following Amir-Abdollahian's meeting with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
"We urge the other concerned parties to practice absolute positiveness in this regard because the talks cannot succeed in having normal relations without ending the occupation, ending terrorism, and restoring the relations to the previous fundamentals before the crises," Mekdad told reporters when asked about the current talks between Syria and Türkiye.
Mekdad said that the relations between Syria and Türkiye were normal before the eruption of the Syrian crisis in 2011, noting the Syrian side is exerting all efforts to end terrorism which "led to disrupting the ties with Türkiye."
Mekdad added that the possibility of a meeting between leaders of Syria and Türkiye relies on removing the elements that led to the current situation, including ending the Turkish occupation of Syrian areas and halting the Turkish support to the rebel groups in northern Syria.
For his part, Amir-Abdollahian said that Iran fully supports Syria's stances and decisions, deeming any dialogue between Syria and Türkiye as a positive step for both countries and the entire region.
In Dec. 2022, defense ministers of Russia, Syria and Türkiye discussed in Moscow solutions to the Syrian crisis, the issue of refugees, and collective efforts aimed at combatting extremist groups in Syria.
The meeting was the first publicly announced encounter between officials of Syria and Türkiye since the Syrian crisis started in 2011. ■
