Turkey: United Syria impossible with Assad
Turkey wants to proceed “step-by-step” and see the outcome of planned peace talks in Astana
Turkey still believes a united and peaceful Syria is impossible with President Bashar al-Assad but wants to proceed “step-by-step” and see the outcome of planned peace talks in Astana, President Tayyip Erdogan’s spokesman said on Friday.
“Our position on Assad is clear. We don’t believe that a united, peaceful Syria will be possible with Assad remaining in power. But we will see how Astana talks go, we want to go step by step at this point,” Turkish presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin said.
Speaking to reporters at a roundtable in Ankara, Kalin said fighting in Syria had largely stopped over the past two weeks under a ceasefire brokered by Russia and Turkey.
US has not received formal invitation to Syria talks in Astana
The United States has not received a formal invitation to Syria peace talks being organized by Russia and Turkey to be held in the Kazakh capital of Astana on Jan. 23, the US State Department said on Friday.
“To my knowledge we have not received ... a formal invitation to the talks,” State Department spokesman Mark Toner said at a daily briefing.
-
Turkey: Syria transition can’t involve Assad
Turkey has prepared an agreement towards a general ceasefire in Syria Middle East -
Putin: Assad, Iran, Turkey agree to Syria talks
Russia, Iran and Turkey held talks in Moscow after which they said they were ready to help broker a Syrian peace deal Middle East -
Saudi jets to arrive in Turkey to strike ISIS
Saudi Arabia and Turkey both see the ousting of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad as essential for ending Syria’s five-year civil war Middle East -
Turkey hails world powers’ Syria plan as ‘important step’
Turkey has insisted that the departure of Bashar al- Assad is essential to ending the fighting News