DAMASCUS — The Russian-brokered meeting between the foreign ministers of Syria and Turkey in Moscow on May 10 was considered a watershed moment for many in the region, as it heralded a sharp deviation from the bitter hostilities over the last decade.
Naturally, it was presumed that the course between Ankara and Damascus would run parallel to the rapid normalization efforts between Syria and Saudi Arabia and the plethora of deals and agreements taking center stage in the Middle East today.
However, the long-touted reconciliation has failed to materialize. Rather, it seems as distant as ever, with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s no-nonsense interview with Sky News Arabia this week providing the greatest indicator that the two countries are still many miles apart.
Assad hits pause
