"I consider this to be an important and positive signal," the professor noted. "I am convinced that not only the Turkish people, but also the country's leadership will see the truthfulness of these words."
Sukru Sina Gurel recently met with the Syrian leader in Damascus. The visit that was not coordinated with Turkish authorities. The former Turkish foreign minister noted that al-Assad looked calm and confident during their short meeting. He attributed this to the fact that the Syrian crisis could gradually be resolved.
Indeed, recent developments indicate that the five years of violence that has claimed more than 250,000 lives and forced 11 million Syrians to relocate could soon turn into a lasting peace. The nationwide ceasefire has largely been observed since February 27. The cessation of hostilities helped to kick start the intra-Syrian peace talks that will resume next month.
Sukru Sina Gurel warned against dividing Syria or any other regional state torn apart along sectarian lines into smaller parts.
"We should clearly understand that any partition or separatism attempts in the Middle East create a domino effect. Regional powers have to stand together and carry out joint policies aimed at ensuring territorial integrity," he noted.
