Syria Today | Assad and Turkish PM discuss Syrian-Israeli peace prospects

Assad and Turkish PM discuss Syrian-Israeli peace prospects

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad met with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on April 26 in Damascus to discuss prospects of peace talks between Syria and Israel, Turkish-Syrian economic relations and the political situation in the Middle East, Syria’s official news agency SANA reported.

During the meeting, President Assad and Erdogan focused on the new potential for peace negotiations between Israel and Syria and the role Turkey has to play as an effective mediator between the two countries. Assad expressed his appreciation of Turkey’s efforts so far and said that the meeting discussed the “means to activate the process of just and comprehensive peace”.

Israel captured the strategic Syrian Golan Heights from Syria during the 1967 ‘Six Day War’. The last round of peace talks between the two countries broke down in 2000 due to disagreements about Israel’s proposed withdrawal from the Golan. Syrian lawmaker Mohammed Habash told Syria Today: “Turkey has very good ties with Damascus and can play a very positive role in mediating between Syria and Israel.”