In an interview with columnist Muharrem Sarıkaya, Kılıçdaroğlu said he had for a long time defended policies exactly the opposite of those of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan towards Syria and said government should meet with Syrian President Bashar Assad without any preconditions.
“Since they did not do this, we will convene a Turkey conference as the CHP. We will examine the reality in Syria. We will invite all important international actors,” he said.
Turkey cut all ties with Assad, a former ally, after the start of the civil war in Syria in 2011 and supported Islamist Syrian rebel groups, while coordinating efforts in Syria with Russia and Iran, Assad’s allies, starting talks for a political solution to the conflict, called the Astana process.
Kılıçdaroğlu said they would invite both supporters and the opponents of Assad. “Turkey has to see the issue with all its dimensions. Apart from those linked to terrorist organisations of course,” he said.
“Apart from them, excluding them,” Kılıçdaroğlu said when asked whether the SDF and YPG would be invited to the conference.
Kılıçdaroğlu said he would also invite refugee organisations in Turkey, which hosts 3.6 million Syrians according to official figures.
“By direct meetings with Assad, many problems in northern Syria can easily be overcome,” Kılıçdaroğlu said, urging Erdoğan to give up his stubbornness and act according to Turkey’s interests.