Facilitations for the return of Syrian refugees and the settlement of their status in Turkey.. Where has the rapprochement between Ankara and Damascus reached?

Istanbul

- Between news that begins with press leaks, some of which are denied, and some of which end in evidence through official statements, the path of rapprochement between the Turkish government and the Syrian regime is taking shape, but the most exciting station began when the official Iranian news agency IRNA spoke about the possibility of a meeting between the two Presidents Bashar al-Assad. Recep Tayyip Erdogan, at the Shanghai summit in Samarkand, was sponsored by Russia, and this was denied by the Turkish side.

However, during the summit, the Turkish newspaper, Hurriyet, published statements by Erdogan stating that he was ready to meet Assad if he came to Samarkand, but he blamed him and his political and military choices that prevent him from attending this summit.

This was accompanied by reports, in the Turkish press and another by Reuters, about progress in the security talks between the two sides and the possibility of holding a meeting at a ministerial level, which was encouraged by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, expressing Moscow's readiness to support such a meeting if necessary.

Ibrahim Kalin denied the existence of a plan to normalize relations with the regime, while researchers suggested that the talks at this stage are exploratory (Anatolia).

normalization conditions

Turkish presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin came out last Saturday to deny the existence of any plan to normalize relations between the two sides, returning the track to the point from which it began, which is the commitment to the Astana path to a solution in Syria, while the regime's Foreign Minister Faisal Miqdad denied holding negotiations between the two parties to normalize relations between them, but considered The Astana process is the only viable framework for resolving the Syrian crisis.

The two sides' denials of the existence of a plan or negotiations to normalize relations between them suggests that an agreement has not yet crystallized on the nature of the steps that each of them is asking the other to take as a condition for normalization, according to researchers.

According to Abdel Wahab Assi, a researcher specializing in Syrian affairs at Jusoor Center for Studies, it is necessary to distinguish between the course of the talks and the option of re-normalizing relations between the two sides.

He adds, to Al Jazeera Net, that talking about a meeting between Erdogan and Assad means that both parties have overcome all problems to the point of preparing to move towards reactivating diplomatic and political relations, but he considered that this "seems very difficult in light of the existing data."

Assi considered that the talks at this stage can be described as "exploratory or a test of intentions", which is consistent with measures that both parties have begun to take under this item, despite their insistence that there are no plans for normalization so far.

Measures to facilitate the return of Syrians

The Syrian regime began to show more flexibility in dealing with the issue of the return of Syrian refugees residing in Turkey in particular.

After months of facilitating passport renewal transactions for Syrians "expatriates", whether through electronic portals or through diplomatic missions, the consulate of the Syrian regime in Istanbul announced the opening of the door to "settlement of the status of Syrians wishing to return to their country", in addition to settling the status of those who have failed to "service the flag" By obtaining an entry permit for a period of 180 days, during which he can take the required measures to stop the search for him.

Although the concept of settling the situation is not new to the Syrian regime’s literature, its work was limited to the inside, in addition to that it did not constitute a guarantee for some of the arrest, torture and even death at the hands of the jailers, although others benefited from it.

“Settlement of the situation,” according to an announcement on a poster on the consulate in Istanbul and published on its official website, requires a set of papers, including proof of the applicant’s kinship with the citizen whose status is to be settled, his curriculum vitae, the date of his departure from Syria and the crossing from which he left, and his residence address abroad, and finally. His role in the events that took place in the country.

Turkey aspires to encourage the voluntary return of about one million Syrian refugees after establishing many brick houses in northern Syria (Al-Jazeera)

And people reported through social media, whose statements were not verified by Al-Jazeera Net, that they applied for a status settlement in accordance with the requirements of the Syrian Consulate in Istanbul, and returned to the country after obtaining approval, without anyone having been exposed to them so far.

Others reported that they were able through this procedure to remove the seizure of their property on various charges related to "terrorism".

These news intersect with what was reported by Turkish newspapers, quoting security sources, as saying that the talks with the Syrian side reached the stage of drawing up a road map to make way for the return of Syrian refugees to their country.

The Turkish Haber 7 website said that the Turkish delegation raised the issue of seizure of the property of absentees in accordance with Law No. 10 and other laws issued at different times that do not encourage Syrians to return.

Russia wants to devote itself to Ukraine

It is likely that the Russians have "instructed Assad" to accept things that could help Erdogan win the upcoming elections, especially with regard to refugees and the Syrian-Turkish border, the political researcher expert in Russian affairs Nasr Al-Youssef believes.

Al-Youssef also points out, in an interview with Al-Jazeera Net, that Moscow may have pressured the regime to "put the train of return of refugees on the tracks, even if it was a few hundred thousand, so that the Turkish voter would understand that this train could come to an end if Erdogan wins the elections."

On the reasons for Russia moving the path of rapprochement between Damascus and Ankara, the Moscow-based researcher believes that "Turkey plays an important role and occupies an important space of Russian thinking because it is a partner before the outbreak of the Russian-Ukrainian war."

He believes that Russia is counting on Turkey's support in Syria to devote itself to the most important and vital file for it, which is the Ukraine issue.

He added, "Russia wants Turkey to replace it, even partially, in the Syrian issue, especially since Ankara is a partner of Moscow in the Astana platform, and the Russian-Turkish visions are closer to each other than the Iranian vision, the third partner in the Astana track."