Syria's President Bashar al-Assad said on July 15 that he will only commit to meeting Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan if Damascus and Ankara agree to focus on the core issues of Ankara's backing for "terrorism" and a pullout of Turkish forces from Syrian territory.

"The problem is not the meeting, but its content," a video clip released by the Syrian presidency showed Assad telling reporters in Damascus, Reuters reported.

"What is the basis for the meeting? Would it be ending the reasons for the problem, which are supporting terrorism and withdrawing from Syrian lands?... This is the core of the problem," said Assad.

He added: "If there were no discussion about the core of [the problem], what would such a meeting mean?"

Assad also observed that any initiative aimed at improving bilateral ties would draw a positive response from him, but reiterated that the basis for talks must be set at the outset.

Why Erdogan has chosen now to attempt a reconciliation with Syria is far from clear to analysts.

Some observers note how the geopolitical situation in the Middle East has changed with the war in Gaza, with real fears of a wider regional conflict. Ozgur Unluhisarcikli, an analyst on Turkey and director of the German Marshall Fund in Ankara, was cited by the Associated Press on July 12 as saying that both Turkey and Syria may be feeling insecure and are attempting to form new alliances in the face of the Gaza war’s potential regional ripple effects.

Turkey and Syria cut ties in 2011 after the Syrian civil war broke out. Erdogan opted to support rebels intent on toppling Assad. The Syrian leader, who has fought the war with Russian and Iranian political and military backing, describes those rebels as terrorists.

In northern Syria, Turkey has created a "safe zone", occupied by Turkish troops. Ankara has also launched multiple cross-border military operations targeting militants it claims threaten Turkey's national security.

Erdogan said earlier this month that he would extend an invitation to Assad at "any time" for possible talks to rebuilt and reset relations. He added: “We have now arrived at a point where, if Bashar Assad takes a step towards improving relations with Turkiye, we will also show that approach towards him.”

Bianet on July 14 reported the Syrian Foreign Ministry as saying that normalisation of ties with Turkey should return to the pre-2011 status, which was “based on the security, welfare, and stability of both nations.”