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Conflict in Syria

No plans for Erdogan-Assad meeting in the near term — Turkish presidential spokesman

Ibrahim Kalin pointed out that defense ministers, foreign ministers and intelligence chiefs should first hold meetings to prepare the ground for such talks

ANKARA, May 29. /TASS/. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has no current plans to hold talks with his Syrian counterpart Bashar Assad, Turkish presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin said during A HABER TV broadcast on Monday.

"So far, there is no date for such a meeting. Such talks are not planned for the near future. The fact is that it is necessary to create a basis for them first. We need to see what steps the Syrian side will take. Our defense ministers, foreign ministers and intelligence chiefs should first hold meetings to prepare the ground for such talks," he said.

Kalin added that Turkey and Syria have "three important issues that need to be resolved." "These are: fight against terrorism, return of refugees and continuation of negotiations between the [Damascus] regime and the opposition through a political process," he listed. The spokesman recalled that the Syrian issue has already been discussed in various international arenas and formats. "Work has also been done within the framework of the Astana process. It is necessary to continue work in these formats and perhaps create new ones," he said.

The top diplomats of Russia, Iran, Syria and Turkey on Syrian discussed in Moscow on May 10 the normalization of relations between Ankara and Damascus, in particular, the voluntary and safe return of Syrian refugees to their homeland, as well as the settlement in Syria on the basis of a UN Security Council resolution. The sides decided to form a special committee to develop a roadmap for normalization, including the return of refugees.

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