Syria’s al-Assad says efforts to improve relations with Turkey have failed....

The president states that Ankara does not need to withdraw its troops from Syria to engage in talks with his government...

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad speaks to the new members of parliament in Damascus, Syria [File: Handout/  SANA via Reuters...

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad stated that efforts to improve relations with Turkey have so far been unsuccessful.

In a speech to the Syrian parliament on Sunday, al-Assad remarked that recent conciliation efforts led by Russia, Iran, and Iraq had not produced any significant results.

Turkey cut ties with Syria in 2011 following the outbreak of the Syrian civil war, during which Ankara supported rebels aiming to oust al-Assad. The Syrian government has been accused by international bodies and human rights organizations of war crimes, with millions of Syrian civilians fleeing both government-controlled areas and the country as a whole.

“The solution is openness,” al-Assad asserted. “Restoring a relationship requires first addressing the issues that led to its breakdown.”

He clarified that while he seeks the withdrawal of Turkish troops from Syria, this is not a precondition for negotiations.

“It’s incorrect to state, as some Turkish officials have, that Syria would refuse to engage in talks without a withdrawal,” al-Assad said. “Such claims are far from reality.”...