Ankara appreciates Russia's efforts to facilitate cooperation between Turkiye and the Syrian government and is committed to continuing its efforts to pave the way for normalization of relations with Damascus in good faith and without preconditions, the Turkish Foreign Ministry told Sputnik on Tuesday.
 
On August 31, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov announced that a meeting involving Russia, Iran, Turkiye, and Syria to discuss the normalization of relations between Ankara and Damascus would take place soon.
 
In a written statement to Sputnik, the ministry's press service said, "We welcome Russia's efforts to establish cooperation between our country and the Damascus administration. We would like to see in Syria a neighbor to whom people are returning, who lives in peace with their people and society, who has achieved real national reconciliation through steps taken by him [sic] within the framework of the legitimate demands and expectations of the people, which are also reflected in the relevant resolutions of the UN Security Council."
 
It added, "We say that efforts should be made to implement this in good faith, without preconditions, and with a realistic approach. Efforts to prepare the necessary ground within this framework will continue."

Russia says serious preparations needed for Syria-Turkiye meeting

In early August, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov said that Russia supports the reconciliation effort between Syria and Turkiye and the progression of mending ties between them.

Bogdanov stressed the importance of progressing the negotiation process and preparing for a potential meeting between Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Bogdanov, also the special presidential envoy for the Middle East and African countries and deputy foreign minister, emphasized Russia's position on the issue. "We are for the process of normalization of interstate relations between Turkiye and Syria on the basis of mutual recognition of territorial integrity and sovereignty," he said.

He highlighted Russia's role in facilitating this process and expressed the desire for it to continue gaining momentum. "It would be very good if the leaders met. I believe that serious preparations for such a meeting are needed," he added.

When asked about the possibility of hosting such a meeting on Russian soil, Bogdanov clarified that there was no current information regarding this. However, he reaffirmed Russia's readiness to facilitate discussions in Moscow, including trilateral meetings involving representatives from Damascus and Ankara.