Erdogan Seeks to Revive Diplomatic Ties with Syria Amid Rising Domestic Tensions

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has reiterated his willingness to restore diplomatic ties with Syria, highlighting an intention to bring relations back to past norms. This move comes amid rising domestic pressures in Turkey, including economic downturn and anti-Syrian refugee sentiment. Past talks have not yielded results, but recent actions suggest a potential thaw.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan reiterated his willingness to restore ties with Syria and extended an "invitation" Sunday to bring back relations to ''how they were in the past''.

Over 12 years ago, diplomatic ties between Ankara and Damascus were cut off when protests turned into a civil war in Syria. Turkey supported armed opposition groups in the northwest that aimed to oust Syrian President Bashar Assad from power.

This move comes as the Turkish government has been facing increased pressure to repatriate millions of Syrian refugees amid a steep economic downturn and rising anti-refugee sentiment.

(With inputs from agencies.)