Syria regime contradicts Turkey claim of 'normalisation' talk after meeting with Iran, Russia

Syria's regime has reportedly dismissed claims by Turkey that Ankara and Damascus discussed normalising their ties at a meeting earlier this week.

Regime defence minister Ali Mahmoud Abbas met on Tuesday with Turkish counterpart Hulusi Akar, as well as the defence ministers of Iran and Russia - key backers of Damascus - as part of a series of talks on Syria-Turkey reconciliation.

The Turkish defence ministry said in a statement released on Tuesday that officials discussed "concrete steps that can be taken in the field of normalisation of Turkey-Syria relations".

The ministry also said strengthening Syrian security, counter-terror efforts, and the return of Syrian refugees from Turkey were discussed at the meeting.

Akar also told journalists that Turkey "respect[ed] Syria’s sovereignty rights and its territorial integrity and that the only reason we are present in Syria is to fight terrorist organizations".

The Turkish defence minister listed Syrian Kurdish armed groups as examples of "terrorist organizations".

However, Syria regime newspaper Al-Watan, citing "an informed source", reported on Wednesday that normalising the two countries’ ties had not been discussed at the meeting.

The source reiterated a stance previously expressed by Syria regime officials - that normalisation would not take place until Turkey pulled its troops out of northern Syria.

"Withdrawal is the first issue that must be resolved in the talks of the normalisation process… without withdrawal, normal relations will not be established," Al-Watan reported the source as saying.

Syrian regime’s defence ministry said "the withdrawal of Turkish troops from Syrian territory" had been discussed in the meeting - a discussion point absent from the Turkish statement.

There have been several meetings between Syria regime and Turkish officials over potential reconciliation since last year. 

Ties between Ankara and Damascus fell apart soon after Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s forces brutally cracked down on protests in 2011. That crackdown sparked a brutal and ongoing civil war that has seen killed hundreds of thousands of Syrians and displaced millions more.

Most of the casualties have been at the hands of regime forces. Turkey has given political and military support to opposition forces.

However, Russia militarily intervened in Syria to support Assad in 2015, helping his regime beat back opposition forces and take control of most of the country.

Turkey has invaded parts of northern Syria held by Kurdish-led forces several times, and holds on to much of this territory today, through its own and proxy forces.

Russia and Turkey have been conducting joint patrols in northern Syria, including om the strategically key M4 highway, since 2020. Iran has also militarily aided Syria, sending militia forces to help bolster Assad’s control of the country.

Since February this year, the Syrian regime has been welcomed back into the diplomatic fold by Arab governments with help from Saudi Arabia.

Turkey has also begun to reconcile with other countries in the region, including Egypt, Israel, and Saudi Arabia.

Turkey’s defence ministry said in their Tuesday statement that the quartet meetings on reconciliation with the Assad regime would be continuing.

Reconciliatory meetings have sparked protests in opposition-held parts of northern Syria, home to millions of people displaced by the 12 years of war.