Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Thursday that his country was seeking three-way meetings between Ankara, Moscow and Damascus, a fresh addition to Turkey’s efforts to restore its ties with the Syrian government of Bashar Al-Assad, ten years after relations broke off between them. 

“We want to take a tripartite step as Syria-Turkey-Russia,” Erdogan told reporters during his return from Turkmenistan, adding that the three countries' defense and foreign ministers could come together first.

“Following their meetings, let us get together as the leaders. I offered this to Mr. Putin and he received it positively. Thus, a series of contacts would be launched.” he said, referring to a Dec. 11 phone call between the two leaders.

Diplomatic ties between the two countries broke off in 2012, following the Syrian conflict and Erdogan becoming one of the first leaders to call on Assad to step down. In August, Erdogan openly declared that toppling Assad was no longer on his country’s agenda amid Ankara’s plans to launch a new ground offensive against Syrian Kurdish groups that it considers “terrorists.” Late November, Erdogan expressed interest in a meeting with Assad.