Turkey Rules Out Dialogue with Syria

Turkey ruled out Tuesday any dialogue with the Syrian regime, as Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu stated that “there is no point in engaging in dialogue with a regime that continues to carry out such a massacre against its own people, even during Eid Al-Adha.

Speaking at a news conference, Davutoglu said that “dialogue with Damascus would be a step that could be legitimizing the existing regime as the violence continues”.

“What matters now is to encourage peace through the strongest messages. We had maintained our relationship with the Syrian regime for months and delivered messages of dialogue,” the Turkish foreign minister added.

He further pointed out that “we still do, but first of all the Syrian regime must demonstrate the will to make peace with its own people,” arguing that “negotiations while a civil war was raging could not yield any results.”

Davutoglu also called for a transition process in Syria in which “people who were not involved in the bloodshed against Syrian people will play a role,” assuring that consultations with Iran and Russia, as well as Egypt and Saudi Arabia would continue.