Turkey can send an invitation to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad at any time for possible talks on the restoration of relations between the two neighboring countries, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Sunday.
"We will send our invitation to Assad, and with that we want to restore Turkish-Syrian relations to the same level as before. Our invitation can be sent at any time," Erdogan emphasized.
Turkey severed ties with Syria in 2011 following the outbreak of a war in which it supported rebel forces seeking to oust Assad.
Ankara has carried out several cross-border military operations against militants it says threaten its national security and has formed a "safe zone" in northern Syria, where Turkish forces are now stationed, Reuters reports.
Erdogan emphasized that Ankara will initiate reciprocal measures to any positive step by Damascus and that Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iraqi Prime Minister Muhammad Shia Al Sudani can contribute to establishing contact.
The Turkish president added that they have now reached a point from which, if Assad takes a step towards improving relations with Turkey, Ankara can respond with the same approach.
Syrian officials have repeatedly indicated that any kind of normalization of relations can be established after Turkey agrees to withdraw thousands of troops from northwestern Syria.
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