The regime-affiliated newspaper Al-Watan denied holding a Turkish meeting with a regime delegation at the Russian Hmeimim airbase on the Syrian coast, after a Turkish newspaper published news about it in mid-June.

According to sources described by Al-Watan as “informed” today, Monday, June 24, there have not been any recent security or military meetings between the Turkish side and the regime in Hmeimim.

According to the sources, the lack of an official Syrian response comes in the context of Damascus’ policy of not responding to press reports, explaining that there has been no change in the Syrian position on rapprochement conditions with Ankara, particularly regarding Turkey’s readiness to withdraw from Syrian territories and the characterization of what it described as “armed groups.”

The sources also touched on recent Iraqi efforts in the path of Turkish rapprochement with the regime, noting that these efforts are supported by Saudi Arabia, Russia, China, and Iran, with implicit US approval, and that the process will soon be launched at a technical level in preparation for higher-level meetings if conditions for such meetings are met.

No continuous meetings

The meeting news was published on June 15 by the Turkish Aydınlık newspaper, a leftist opposition newspaper owned by the Turkish Vatan Party, which maintains friendly relations with the Syrian regime. Its officials have previously expressed their desire to visit Damascus and meet the regime’s president, Bashar al-Assad.

The news also mentioned that a meeting took place between a Turkish delegation and a regime-affiliated delegation in Hmeimim airbase on June 11, focusing on the latest developments in Idlib and its surroundings, according to sources described by the newspaper as “close to the Syrian government.”

The newspaper did not specify the exact source of this news or provide details about the level of representation and participation in the alleged meeting.

The Turkish STAR newspaper (founded in 1999 by the Star Media Group, acquired by the government in 2004, and returned to the founding group’s management in 2009), in a report published on Thursday, June 20, cited unnamed sources stating that there are no ongoing intelligence-level meetings with Damascus after a quadripartite meeting (Turkey, Russia, Iran, and the regime) was scheduled for September 2023, before Damascus stipulated the withdrawal of Turkish troops from Syria to participate in the meeting.

Old-new conditions

Ankara stipulates in its talks with the regime cooperation against the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (Ankara views the Syrian Democratic Forces as its extension in Syria) and ensuring the return of Syrian refugees, with readiness to discuss these issues.

These conditions have been proposed by Ankara since June 2023 and were reaffirmed by Turkish Defense Minister Yaşar Güler on June 1, when he expressed his country’s readiness for a military withdrawal from Syria within specific frameworks and conditions that are not new to Ankara.

Güler also added, “We are ready to support the establishment of a comprehensive constitution, holding free elections, providing a comprehensive normalization and security environment, and after that, and ensuring our borders’ security completely, we might consider withdrawal if necessary,” according to Turkish media, including Oda TV.

For its part, the Syrian regime continuously stipulates, before, during, and after negotiation rounds, the Turkish withdrawal from Syria, which was reaffirmed by Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad on June 4 during a press conference with his Iranian counterpart in Damascus.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will meet his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on July 3-4 on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit, which will be held in the Kazakh capital.

According to the Turkish Milliyet newspaper, on June 20, it is expected that the two sides will discuss the situation in Syria in detail and the planned establishment of a natural gas hub in Turkey.