The initial explicit endeavor can be traced back to August 2022, when Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu articulated the potential for restoring Turkish-Syrian ties to their former state.
This was contingent upon the Syrian Ba'athist government offering assurances of positive neighborly interactions, including measures to safeguard borders and combat terrorism and separatist activities.
Initially, Turkey had cultivated close ties with Syria under the leadership of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Bashar al-Assad, emphasizing economic cooperation and diplomatic engagement.
[9] Turkey became a key player in supporting anti-Assad factions, hosting millions of Syrian refugees, and allowing its territory to be used by rebel groups, further deepening tensions.
The conflict escalated as Turkey became increasingly involved in military operations in northern Syria, aimed at both countering Kurdish groups it considers terrorist organizations and mitigating the influx of refugees.
Turkey, facing economic challenges and a complex geopolitical landscape, signaled a willingness to normalize relations with neighboring countries, including Syria.
Talks brokered by Russia and other regional actors, as well as a broader trend of rapprochement in the Middle East, led to incremental steps toward improving relations.