Türkiye will extend an invitation to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad "any time" for possible talks to restore relations between the two neighbours, Turkish President Tayyip Erdoğan said on Sunday.
"We will extend our invitation (to Assad); with this invitation, we want to restore Türkiye-Syria relations to the same level as in the past. Our invitation may be extended at any time," Erdoğan said, according to a presidency readout of an interview by Turkish media.
Speaking to reporters on his flight back from Berlin, Erdoğan also said Ankara would reciprocate any positive steps from Damascus, and that Russia's President Vladimir Putin and Iraqi Prime Minister could contribute to facilitating the contact.
"We have now arrived at a point where if Bashar Assad takes a step towards improving relations with Türkiye, we will also show that approach towards him," Erdoğan said.
"Putin and the Iraqi prime minister have an approach for talks to be in Türkiye. We are talking about mediation everywhere, why not with our neighbour?" he was quoted as saying by the Turkish presidency.
Erdoğan in June did not rule out a possible meeting with Assad to revive relations.
Syrian officials, however, have repeatedly said that any normalization in ties can only come after Türkiye agrees to pull out thousands of troops from the rebel-held northwest.