Turkey is ready to discuss the withdrawal of its troops from Syria, but specific terms have not yet been agreed, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in an interview with RT television, Russian news agency TASS reported on Saturday.
Lavrov said while Turkey is open to talks about pulling its forces from Syria, the details, including measures to address the terrorist threat and the return of refugees, are still under negotiation. He emphasized that the Syrian government’s call for a clear plan for the withdrawal is crucial for normalizing relations between Damascus and Ankara.
Lavrov also mentioned ongoing discussions among Russia, Turkey, Syria and Iran aimed at normalizing ties between Turkey and Syria, with a future meeting planned to continue these efforts.
Turkish forces and Turkey-backed rebel factions control swaths of northern Syria, and Ankara has launched successive cross-border offensives since 2016, mainly to clear the area of Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which are backed by the US but which Turkey mistrusts.
Turkey sees the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG), which dominate the SDF, as an offshoot of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which it considers a terrorist group.
A Turkish Defense Ministry source told Agence France-Presse on Thursday that Turkey’s military presence in Syria is essential to preventing the war-torn country from falling under the control of “terrorist groups.”
The source added that Turkey’s presence in Syria is crucial for preventing the division of Syrian territory and the establishment of a “terror corridor.” Despite recent overtures from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to improve relations with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, including expressing a willingness to engage in dialogue at all levels, the Turkish Defense Ministry source maintained that the presence of Turkish forces in Syria remains vital for ensuring stability and countering terrorist threats.