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Conflict in Syria

Ankara to continue efforts to restore relations with Damascus — Defense Ministry

The participants of the latest round of talks in the Astana format discussed the efforts to reach a comprehensive settlement in Syria, the humanitarian situation in the country, and the mobilization of the international community's efforts to promote post-conflict reconstruction

ISTANBUL, November 14. /TASS/. Turkey will continue efforts to restore relations with neighboring Syria, which were severed in 2012, sources in the Turkish Defense Ministry said, commenting on the results of the latest round of talks in the Astana format on the Syrian settlement.

The meeting was held on November 11-12 in Kazakhstan with the participation of high-ranking representatives of the guarantor states of the process: Russia, Iran and Turkey. The participants discussed the efforts to reach a comprehensive settlement in Syria, the humanitarian situation in the country, and the mobilization of the international community's efforts to promote post-conflict reconstruction.

"We will continue to work together to combat terrorism in all its manifestations and to counter separatist aspirations that undermine the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria and threaten the national security of neighboring countries. With the participation of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, we will continue efforts to restore relations between Turkey and Syria on the basis of mutual respect, goodwill and good neighborly relations in order to create conditions for the voluntary and dignified return of Syrians, the revival of the political process and the unimpeded delivery of humanitarian aid to the country," TRT Haber TV quoted Turkish Defense Ministry sources as saying.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced in June that he was ready to restore diplomatic relations with Syria. At the same time, he instructed Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan to prepare a roadmap for the normalization process. In October, Erdogan said that he expected constructive steps on the issue of normalizing relations with Syria in the near future. According to Erdogan, he asked Russian President Vladimir Putin in Kazan on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit to help ensure that Syrian President Bashar Assad responds to Ankara's call for normalization of relations.

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Syrian conflict

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