Iraq seeks reconciliation between Turkey and Syria

Welat TV - Erbil

Iraqi Prime Minister Muhammad Shi’a al-Sudani stated, in an interview, on Friday, May 31, 2024, published that his government is working to promote reconciliation between Turkey and Syria. “God willing, we will see some steps in this regard soon,” al-Sudani told the private Turkish Haber Turk channel through a translator, explaining that he is in contact with both Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to discuss reconciliation efforts.

* Relations between Ankara and Damascus worsen

Turkey has supported Syrian armed opposition groups, since the beginning of the Syrian civil war, who seek to overthrow the Assad regime. However, Turkish President Erdogan announced in 2022 that overthrowing Assad was no longer on his government's agenda in Syria. Despite this, the first direct talks between the two countries brokered by Russia failed to achieve any tangible progress.

*Iraq is keen to reconcile between Syria and Turkey

Al-Sudani referred to Iraq's role in mediation between regional countries, noting the success achieved by Baghdad in hosting talks between Iran and Saudi Arabia, which led to a historic agreement to resume diplomatic relations between the two regional powers in 2023.

Al-Sudani explained that his country is trying to implement a similar model for reconciliation between Syria, and Turkey.

*The Syrian Minister of Interior in Baghdad

Al-Sudani became the first Iraqi prime minister to visit Damascus, Last July, in 13 years, after assuming office in 2022. His latest statements came after Turkish President Erdogan’s visit to Baghdad last month, the first of its kind is in more than a decade. Earlier this month, al-Sudani held security talks with Syrian Interior Minister Muhammad al-Rahmoun in Baghdad.

*Al-Sudani reveals the sources of the threats

During his interview, on Friday, al-Sudani spoke about the common security threats facing Iraq and Syria, noting that the sources of the threats emanate from Syrian areas that are not controlled by the Syrian government.

*Turkey’s conditions for normalization with the Syrian regime

The Turkish presidential spokesman, following Erdogan's victory in the Turkish presidential elections in May last year, Ibrahim Kalen, confirmed that there was no plan to hold a summit at the presidential level between Erdogan and Assad at the present time.

Kalen explained that "the concerned authorities and heads of the intelligence services are working to develop and advance the related issues until a similar meeting is considered at a later time," stressing that "there is no plan to hold a meeting of this kind in the near future."