"I think that the Russia-Turkey reconciliation will negatively affect extremist forces, both religious and secular. Mutual rapprochement will provide for better coordination in the fight against terrorism and for distinguishing between extremist forces and moderate Syrian opposition," Firas Khalidi said, adding that this rapprochement could have a positive impact on the upcoming meeting on Syrian reconciliation in Geneva.
According to Khalidi, the meeting may take place after July 20.
On June 27, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in a letter addressed to Russian President Vladimir Putin, apologized for the downing of a Russian Su-24 attack aircraft by a Turkish jet in November 2015 and extended his condolences to the family of the pilot killed in the incident. Earlier this week, Erdogan and Putin had a phone conversation during which they agreed to hold a personal meeting later this year.
By doing so Ankara fulfilled one of the conditions put forward by Moscow following the incident that paralyzed the long-term partnership between the two countries.
