ANKARA, November 23. /TASS/. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday that a meeting with Syrian leader Bashar Assad could take place under the right circumstances.
Asked by reporters in Ankara whether he and Assad could meet, Erdogan said, "We could. Politicians do not take offense. We could at least make such an attempt as soon as more favorable conditions emerge."
The day before, Turkey’s Nationalist Movement Party leader Devlet Bahceli urged Erdogan to hold a meeting with Syria’s Assad.
The Turkish media reported following Erdogan’s talks in Sochi on August 5 with Russian President Vladimir Putin that Ankara was discussing establishing direct communication between the leaders of Turkey and Syria. Turkish officials have said no such talks are currently being planned and that Ankara and Damascus have been maintaining dialogue via intelligence services only.
Erdogan said following the European Political Community summit in Prague on October 6 that though a meeting with Assad was currently out of the question, he could meet the Syrian leader "when the right time comes."