IDLIB, Syria — On April 20, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu announced the start of what he described as a new phase for the “voluntary and safe” return of Syrian refugees to their country, in cooperation with Lebanon, Jordan, and Iraq.

Cavusoglu hinted at the possibility of security talks with the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad, saying, “Intelligence meetings were held between the two countries [Turkey and Syria] in the past.”

Turkish and Syrian media previously reported an upcoming meeting between Turkish intelligence chief Hakan Fidan and Syrian vice president for security affairs Ali Mamlouk in Moscow. No date was specified. However, well-informed sources told the regime-affiliated Al-Baath Media on April 15, “Media reports about Mamlouk meeting with Fidan in Moscow are inaccurate.”

The Turkish government also canceled permits allowing Syrians in Turkey to visit Syria for Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. This measure is believed to be a response to the demands of the Turkish opposition, which often criticized the government for allowing the Syrians to go to Syria and return to Turkey for Eid.