The topic of normalization between Turkey and Syria continues to be a prominent issue.
In a statement today, President Assad reiterated that the prospect of meeting President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan would be contingent on the substance of the discussions.
On July 7, President Erdoğan had told journalists that Turkey could extend an invitation to Assad at any moment regarding the normalization process with Syria.
Erdoğan had remarked: "The moment Bashar Assad takes a step towards mending relations with Turkey, we will reciprocate. We were not enemies with Syria in the past, we used to meet with Assad as families. We will extend our invitation. Hopefully, with this invitation, we aim to bring Turkey-Syria relations back to where they were. The invitation can happen at any time."
President Erdoğan also noted that Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' Al Sudani supported the idea of holding the meeting in Turkey.
Erdoğan added, "We talk about mediation everywhere, so why not with our neighbor right at our border?"
