Turkey's Erdogan says can never rule out dialogue with Syria regime

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he can never rule out dialogue and diplomacy with the regime in Syria, a neighbouring country in which it has carried out several incursions in recent years, according to a transcript of his comments to reporters.

Asked about potential talks with the Assad regime, he was quoted as saying diplomacy between states can never be fully severed, taking what appeared to be a softer tone than his previous comments.

There is a "need to take further steps with Syria," Erdogan also said.

Ankara has backed opposition groups in Syria's war while the Assad regime has accused Turkey of supporting "terrorist" groups.

Erdogan promised earlier this year to launch another military operation into northern Syria.

Since 2016, Turkey helped its Syrian rebel allies seize hundreds of kilometres of land and pushed some 30 kilometres deep into the country, mainly targeting the Kurdish YPG militia, which it deems a terrorist organisation.

The YPG is the main component of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), the military wing of an autonomous Kurdish-led region in Syria's north and east.

In recent weeks Turkey and its allies have intensified strikes on SDF and regime fighters in northern Syria, killing dozens. On Friday, a missile was launched from SDF-held territory at the Turkish-held city of Al-Bab, killing 14 people in a crowded marketplace.

However, Erdogan said on Friday that Ankara was not looking to seize any Syrian territory despite stepping up its attacks against Kurdish forces in the war-torn country's north.

"We do not have eyes on the territory of Syria because the people of Syria are our brothers," Turkish media quoted Erdogan as saying.

"The regime must be aware of this."

Erdogan was speaking during a visit to Ukraine which came two weeks after he flew to Sochi for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin that also covered Syria.

Putin's support was instrumental in helping Syrian President Bashar al-Assad survive an 11-year conflict against rebel groups backed in part by Turkey.

Erdogan said he told Putin that he wanted to cooperate more closely with Russia in northern Syrian regions where Ankara has been targeting Kurds it views as "terrorists".

"We are in contact with Russia on every step that we take in Syria," Erdogan said.

Several foreign actors have intervened in Syria's war, which began in 2011.

Russia, Iran and the Lebanese Shia militia Hezbollah support the regime of President Bashar Al-Assad, while US-led coalition forces assist the SDF in its fight against the so-called Islamic State group.

Reproachment with Assad

The border fighting came amid mounting fears that Turkey may be preparing to launch its fourth cross-border offensive against Kurdish forces since 2016.

Erdogan accuses the Kurdish fighters in Syria - allied with the United States against Islamic State - as outlawed militants with links to groups waging a decades-long insurgency against the Turkish state.

He repeated his catchphrase on Friday that Turkish forces could strike Syrian Kurds "suddenly one night".

But he also hinted that Turkey may be open to a possible reproachment with Assad after fiercely opposing his regime.

"There should be no resentment in politics," Erdogan was quoted as saying.

He pointed out that Turkey had made up with its one-time rivals Egypt and the United Arab Emirates in the past few years.

"We need to secure further steps with Syria," he said without fully explaining what those might involve.

Turkish Foreign Minister Cavusoglu sparked protests in northern Syrian regions under Ankara's control last week by calling for a "reconciliation" between rebel groups it backs and Assad.

He also revealed last year holding his first brief meeting with a Syrian foreign minister since 2011.

"You should always be at peace," Erdogan said on Friday. "You should have the opportunity to meet at any time."

(AFP, Reuters, The New Arab)