ISTANBUL, December 2. /TASS/. Syrian President Bashar Assad may consider accepting Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's proposal to normalize relations due to the sharp escalation of the situation in the northern regions of the Arab republic, according to the pro-government Turkish daily Hurriyet.

"Until now, Assad has not responded to Turkey’s extended hand. He has now seen the price of his mistake. <...> However, it is not too late. In light of new developments, Assad may extend his hand to Erdogan," columnist Abdulkadir Selvi wrote.

On June 28, Erdogan announced his readiness to restore diplomatic relations with Damascus, which were severed in 2012. On July 12, he revealed that he had instructed Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan to prepare a roadmap for the normalization process. However, in late November, Fidan stated that Syria was not yet ready for dialogue.

The Syrian military command stated on November 28 that units of the Jabhat al-Nusra extremist group "launched a large-scale attack on a broad front" on the morning of November 27. According to the statement, the terrorists attempted to target "the villages and towns protected by the Syrian army, as well as military installations." On November 30, the Syrian army stated it was forced to regroup its forces while repelling a terrorist attack in Aleppo to protect the lives of civilians and servicemen, and was preparing for a counteroffensive.