No plans for Erdogan-Assad meeting soon: Turkish govt spokesman

Turkey said on Monday that there are no plans for a meeting between President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Syrian counterpart Bashar al-Assad, contrary to recent speculation saying the two could possibly sit together.

"We don’t have an immediate plan for such a meeting, but our president is sending a message: If you act responsibly, if you address the security concerns and allow the political process to move forward, then I might be prepared to take that step," Turkish presidential spokesperson Ibrahim Kalin said in a television interview.

A report from Reuters last week said the Syrian regime was "resisting Russian efforts to broker a summit" between Assad and Erdogan.

The two presidents have been bitter enemies since the outbreak of the Syrian conflict in 2011.

Erdogan's government has backed rebel fighters who tried to topple Assad and has accused the Syrian leader of state terrorism, saying earlier in the conflict that peace efforts could not continue under his rule.

Over 500,000 people have died in the Syrian conflict, mostly as a result of Assad regime bombardment of civilian areas. Bashar al-Assad has been held responsible for numerous massacres and atrocities throughout the course of the conflict, which broke out in 2011.

Analysis: Although Russian forces remain mired in Ukraine, the Kremlin views its foothold in Syria as vital for its influence in the Middle East and will watch Turkey's next moves with trepidation

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Kalin added that Turkey also wants a clear stance from the Syrian regime regarding Kurdish groups in the country, including the PKK and the YPG, both of which Ankara considers terrorist groups.

The spokesman denied that his government requested approval from Assad's allies Russia and Iran to launch a new ground offensive against Kurdish militants in northern Syria, which it has been threatening to do for months.

"We don’t ask for permission, we just coordinate with our allies when we face a national security threat," Kalin said.

Ankara has said it is ready for talks with the Assad regime if it focuses on security at the border. Turkey wants Syrian Kurdish YPG fighters away from the border, with Syrian refugees currently living in Turkey moved into 'safe zones' inside Syria.

Turkey currently hosts over 3.5 million Syrian refugees, and racism against them has increased in recent years, with some Turks blaming them for the country's deteriorating economy.

Turkish airstrikes on Kurdish targets in Syria and Iraq in recent days have reportedly killed several militants as well as civilians. They came after a deadly bombing in Istanbul which Turkey blamed on Kurdish militants, who in turn denied any involvement.