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Analysis

The missing peace between Syria and Turkey

Erdogan, Assad and the West all seem to be accepting a low-level grey zone conflict in Syria.

Syria's President Bashar al-Assad speaks during a press conference with Iraq's Prime Minister in Damascus on July 16, 2023.
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad speaks during a press conference with Iraq's prime minister in Damascus, Syria, July 16, 2023. — Louai Beshara/AFP via Getty Images

Assad rules out Turkey normalization (for now)

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is in no rush to bury the hatchet with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan. 

In an interview with Sky News last week, Assad dismissed a meeting with Erdogan, saying it would legitimize Turkey’s occupation of northern Syria. 

Turkey maintains an estimated 5,000-10,000 troops in northern Syria and administers via its political and armed Syrian proxy forces about 3,400 square miles of Syrian territory.  

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