Ankara needs to mend fences with Damascus as soon as possible, Turkish political analyst Hasan Unal noted in his interview with Spuntik Turkiye.
According to Unal, the normalization of relations between Ankara and the Syrian government is in Turkey's national and strategic interests.
"Currently, the Turkish armed forces are conducting a military operation in al-Bab; they control northern and western regions out of the city. However, if the Syrian government forces moved from the south toward al-Bab and encircled it would be easier to complete the operation. It is obvious that the normalization of relations with the Syrian leadership corresponds to Turkey's national interests," Unal emphasized.
He noted that the EU member states are ready to pay for Turkey's help with migrants. According to Unal, this money could be redirected to rebuilding Syrian cities under Turkey's supervision.
"Let's help the Syrian refugees to return to their homes, to their homeland," the analyst said.
"The Syrian government should have accepted this gesture of good will on part of Turkey, if [Ankara stepped in with such an initiative]. It would have been a very important step toward the restoration of the Syrian-Turkish relationship," Unal said.
The Turkish political analyst pointed to the fact that Turkey is committed to the peaceful resolution of the Syrian crisis referring to Ankara's participation in the recent Astana talks, held in the capital of Kazakhstan on January 23-24.
According to Unal, the Astana negotiations have proven successful.
"The fact that [the parties concerned have managed] to hold negotiations in Astana and adopt a communiqué on the results of [the meeting] indicate that the process has proven successful," he said.
The analyst recalled that it was Russia, Turkey and Iran who managed to broker a nation-wide ceasefire in Syria which was announced in late December 2016.
Political analyst Hasan Selim Ozertem echoed Unal by saying that the role of Moscow, Ankara and Tehran in intra-Syrian negotiations cannot be underestimated.
Speaking to Sputnik Turkiye, the security expert said that the sustainable partnership of Russia, Turkey and Iran is a key factor in resolving the Syrian conflict.
Ozertem pointed out that between 2015 and 2016 Moscow and Tehran have significantly expanded their cooperation in Syria. According to the expert, Ankara has gained a number of advantages by joining the Russo-Iranian alliance.
"This collaboration allows [Turkey] to maintain the balance of power in the region. In particular, we see that Daesh [ISIS/ISIL] and the Kurdistan Workers' Party [PKK] have turned into a serious threat to Turkey's security. Thanks to cooperation with Iran and Russia, Turkey has strengthened its position in the region," Ozertem said.
The security expert stressed that it is impossible to solve the Syrian conflict without the involvement of Russia, Iran and Turkey.
"It must be said that the resolution of the Syria crisis can't be achieved without Turkey, Russia and Iran [involved in the peace process]. The participation of the three countries, as guarantors, in the negotiation process is the key factor in establishing a dialogue between [Bashar] al-Assad and opposition groups in the region," Ozertem underscored, stressing that the exclusion of any of the three geopolitical actors will endanger the Syrian peace process.
