Alwaght- Turkish president Tayyip Erdogan said on Sunday Ankara has maintained low-level contact with Damascus, despite his government's support for militant and terrorist groups who fought against President Bashar al-Assad for eight years.
However, with support from Russia and Iran and Hezbollah, Syrian Government has managed to liberate most of the country's territories from militants.
Erdogan told broadcaster TRT in an interview that “Foreign policy with Syria continues at a lower level,” adding that intelligence services operated differently to political leaders, Reuters news agency reported.
“Leaders may be cut out. But intelligence units can communicate for their interests,” Erdogan said. “Even if you have an enemy, you should not break the ties. You may need that later.”
Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said in December Turkey and other countries would consider working with Assad if he won a democratic election, and last month said Ankara was in indirect contact with Damascus via Russia and Iran.
The Turkish president also said that a proposed safe zone in northeastern Syria, which President Donald Trump has said should be established as US forces withdraw from the area, could not be set up by Western coalition forces without Turkey.
“We can provide the security in the area. We can manage the region together with you,” Erdogan said. “No problem there. But we can’t leave the region for coalition forces.”
Washington has said the proposed safe zone should address Turkish concerns about preventing any cross-border threat from Kurdish YPG militants in north Syria, while also preventing Turkish military operations against the YPG.
