'Working with Assad to be considered if elected fairly': Turkish minister

The Turkish government will consider the possibility of cooperation with Assad in case of his re-election as the country's head as result of a transparent and fair foreign minister said
Monday, 17 December 2018 05:24

Turkish foreign minister on Sunday said if there is a democratic and credible election in Syria, then everybody "should consider" working with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

"It has to be very credible, transparent, democratic and fair elections. At the end, Syrian people should decide who is going to rule the country after the elections," Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu told a special session -- moderated by CNBC anchor Hadley Gamble -- of 18th Doha Forum in Qatar.

He also said that the country's future constitution that would pave the way for the election should be drafted by the Syrian people. 

"It [the draft process] should be conducted under the umbrella of the United Nations. It has to be an inclusive one. Everybody, the eligible ones, should be able to vote," he said, referring to Syrians inside and outside of the country, including Turkey and other neighbouring countries.  

Better known as a transit country for foreign jihadists seeking to travel to Syria, with the support of the AKP government, Turkey became a source of terrorists since the start of the Syrian intervention in 2011.