Syria: No dialogue with Turkey before Ankara announces plans to withdraw its troops

Syria’s foreign minister said Tuesday that any dialogue between Syria and Turkey should only take place after Ankara announces that it will withdraw its troops from all Syrian territories it controls.

Faisal al-Mekdad made the comments during a joint news conference with Iran’s acting foreign minister, Ali Bagheri-Kani, after Turkey threatened in recent days to act against Kurdish-led authorities in Syria’s northeast as they prepare to hold municipal elections next week.

Turkey has launched three major cross-border operations into Syria since 2016 and controls some territories in the north. Ankara was a main backer of Syrian opposition fighters who have been trying to remove Syrian President Bashar al-Assad from power since the conflict began in March 2011.