MHP leader urges Assad to engage with Türkiye

ANKARA

Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli has called on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to initiate direct dialogue with Türkiye, as escalating violence in Syria's northwest raises regional concerns.

"It is our sincere wish that Syria, with which we have the longest border, achieves stability. Diplomacy should be revived between Türkiye and Syria," Bahçeli told MHP lawmakers during a parliamentary meeting on Dec. 3.

Bahçeli accused Assad of resisting Türkiye’s attempts to engage diplomatically.

"Assad should establish unconditional contact with Türkiye," he said. "The Assad regime should come to its senses. It cannot stay standing by withdrawing into its shell."

The remarks came as opposition forces in Syria led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham captured four towns earlier in the day, advancing toward Hama, the country’s fourth-largest city.

They are now within 10 kilometers (6 miles) of Hama, part of a broader offensive that has seen significant territorial gains in Aleppo and Idlib in recent days.

"The stones that have been moved in our region have not yet settled,” Bahçeli said. "Front after front is being opened in Syria during the 14-year occupation spiral. The chaotic environment is getting tougher."

He emphasized that it was in Assad’s "own interest" to work toward normalizing relations with Ankara, reiterating that "Türkiye has no eyes on anyone’s land."

Türkiye and Syria have held two high-level meetings in 2023 under Russian mediation, but they failed to yield progress. Damascus has insisted on the withdrawal of Turkish troops from its territory, while Ankara maintains that its presence is necessary until Syria is "fully cleared of terrorists and public order is secured."

Bahçeli's MHP and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's Justice and Development Party (AKP) are partners in the ruling alliance.