News - Turkey indicates conditions for withdrawal of its troops from Syria

The Minister of National Defense of Turkey, Yasar Guler, stated—in an interview with Reuters news agency—on what conditions Ankara will withdraw its troops from Syria, Reuters reports. Guler said the two neighbors could meet at a ministerial level again—as part of Ankara's regional charm offensive launched in 2020—if suitable conditions are created. "We are ready to provide all the support we can for a comprehensive constitution to be accepted, for free elections to be held, and for a comprehensive normalization and security atmosphere to be created, and only when these are done and the security of our border is fully ensured will we do what is necessary through mutual coordination," Guler said, in response to a question on the possibility of a Turkish military pullout from Syria. Last month, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he would invite Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to discuss normalizing ties, which Ankara severed after the 2011 Syrian war. Assad has said these talks could only happen if they focus on core issues, including the withdrawal of Turkish forces from the north of Syria.