Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a meeting of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in Washington, Erdogan talked about a meeting with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, saying that Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan is currently working out a roadmap through talks with his counterparts.

He said Ankara believes a fair peace is possible in Syria, and his government declares at every opportunity that the security of the Syrian territory is also in Turkiye’s interest.

Erdogan also noted that the most important step in the Syrian peace process is the beginning of a new era between the two countries, urging the United States and Iran to be happy with these positive developments and support the process to end all the suffering in Syria.

Claiming that his country has been trying for years to settle the clashes in Syria, he said that the most important thing Ankara wishes for is that no one is upset by the atmosphere that allows Syria to build a new and unified state.

Erdogan had earlier emphasized that Turkiye had extended a hand of friendship to Syria and expressed its desire to normalize ties with the Arab country.

However, Turkiye has long violated the territorial integrity of Iraq and Syria under the pretext of confronting elements of the armed group known as the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which has been enlisted as a terrorist entity by Turkiye, the United States, and the European Union.

The government in Damascus has time and again underscored that the withdrawal of Turkish military forces from northern Syria is a prelude to the process of normalizing relations with Ankara.

MNA/IRN