Turkiye FM, Syria opposition officials discuss latest developments in war-torn country

Turkish Foreign Minister, Mevlut Cavusoglu, on Tuesday hosted officials from the Syrian opposition in the capital, Ankara, for talks, Anadolu News Agency reports.

Cavusoglu met with Salem Al-Meslet, president of the Syrian Opposition Coalition, Badr Jamous, head of the Syrian Negotiations Commission, and Abdulrahman Mustafa, prime minister of the provisional government.

“Addressed the recent developments regarding Syria. Reiterated our support for the Syrian Opposition & the Syrian people in line with the UN Security Council Resolution 2254,” the top Turkish diplomat said on Twitter.

Met w/President of SOC @pofsoc, President of SNC @JamousBader & Head of SIG @STMAbdurrahman. Addressed the recent developments regarding #Syria.

Reiterated our support for the Syrian Opposition & the Syrian people in line with the UN Security Council Resolution 2254. pic.twitter.com/6lsRyv3YoE

— Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu (@MevlutCavusoglu) January 3, 2023

Russia’s long-standing effort to open a channel of dialogue between Turkiye and the Bashar Al-Assad regime paid off last year, as the defence ministers and intelligence chiefs of Turkiye, Russia and the Assad regime met in Moscow on 28 December.

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Also, Cavusoglu on Saturday said Turkiye’s second meeting with the Syrian regime could be held in mid-January.

Speaking to reporters in Brazil about a recent phone call with his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, Cavusoglu said Lavrov asked him when they will hold the tripartite ministerial meeting and they agreed to hold it in the second half of January.

READ: Turkiye agrees to withdraw military from northern Syria, following tripartite reconciliation talks