Russia believes that the differences between Syria and Turkey can be bridged

Moscow, February 23 – Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov said in an interview with the News Agency that Russia believes that the differences between Syria and Turkey can be overcome.

As for the presence of Turkish forces in Syria, there is no need to question its temporary nature. The Turkish side stated this at the highest level, affirming its commitment to the sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity of the Syrian Arab Republic. This position, Bogdanov said, “was recorded in a number of Russian-Turkish documents, joint statements of the” Astana troika “.

“We believe that the differences between Damascus and Ankara can be overcome, and we will continue to help the two sides find mutually acceptable solutions in order to normalize relations between the two countries and restore the traditional Syrian-Turkish good-neighborly relations,” he added.

In December, Russia hosted the first talks between the Turkish and Syrian defense ministers in 11 years. In 2011, a civil war broke out in Syria. Turkey, which before this conflict had close relations with Damascus, has taken the side of the opponents of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Since then, Turkey’s relations with Syria have remained difficult. However, in recent weeks, both sides, as well as some media outlets, have been talking about the possibility of a gradual normalization.

To resolve the differences between Ankara and Damascus, a meeting of the foreign ministers of the Russian Federation, Syria and Turkey was planned. In January, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu suggested that such a meeting could take place in early February. Later, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan admitted that Iran could join the planned high-level talks between Turkey, Russia and Syria.

Currently, according to Bogdanov, a quadripartite meeting of the foreign ministers of the Russian Federation, Iran, Turkey and Syria is being prepared.