President says Ankara does not need to remove troops from Syria to talk with his government.
Turkey severed ties with Syria in 2011 after the outbreak of the Syrian civil war, in which Ankara supported rebels seeking to oust al-Assad.
The Syrian president and his regime have been accused by international bodies and human rights organisations of committing war crimes after millions of Syrian civilians have fled areas under the control of the government as well as the country as a whole.
“The solution is openness,” al-Assad said. “Restoring a relationship requires first removing the causes that led to its destruction.”
The Syrian president also made clear that while he wants Turkish troops to withdraw from Syria, that was not a condition for talks.
“It’s not correct what was announced by some Turkish officials recently, that Syria said if there is no withdrawal, it will not meet with the Turks,” al-Assad said.
“This talk is far from reality,” al-Assad added.