Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said more than half a million Syrians had returned home since 2016. AFP
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said more than half a million Syrians had returned home since 2016. AFP
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said more than half a million Syrians had returned home since 2016. AFP
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said more than half a million Syrians had returned home since 2016. AFP

Turkey's President Erdogan hints at meeting Syria's Bashar Al Assad


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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has hinted at the possibility of meeting Syrian counterpart Bashar Al Assad in the future, reinforcing recent tentative steps to restore ties after Ankara's support of rebel groups in Syria's civil war.

"As of now such a meeting is not on the agenda. But I cannot say it is impossible for me to meet with Al Assad," Mr Erdogan told reporters on Thursday in Prague, where he was attending the first meeting of the newly established European Political Community.

"When the right time comes, we can also go to the way of meeting with the president of Syria," he said.

Turkey’s backing has been vital to sustaining Syrian rebels in their last major stronghold in the north-west, after Mr Al Assad defeated the insurgency across the rest of the country with help from Russia and Iran.

Turkey has been hosting nearly four million Syrian refugees since the start of the civil war in Syria in 2011.

Mr Erdogan said on Saturday that more than half a million Syrians had returned home since 2016.

"Since the start of our cross-border operations in Syria, about 526,000 volunteers have returned to the safety zones that we established," he told the Turkish Parliament.

Mr Erdogan has in recent months said he is preparing to send back a million Syrian refugees on a “voluntary basis”.

He has said that Ankara aimed to encourage them to return to "safe zones" on the Turkey-Syria border by building them housing and local infrastructure.

Less than nine months from presidential elections, their presence in Turkey has become a thorny political issue, especially as the country battles an economic and monetary crisis.

Opposition parties regularly call on authorities to send Syrian refugees home.

Syria's civil war, which began with a brutal crackdown on peaceful anti-government protests in 2011, has killed nearly half a million people and forced around half of the country's pre-war population from their homes.

Syria was suspended from the Arab League in November 2011, eight months after the protests erupted to punish Mr Al Assad’s regime for failing to end the bloodshed caused by its clampdown.

However, there have been calls from several Arab nations for Syria to be readmitted into the Arab League as the government has regained control over most of the country. The Al Assad regime has been mainly backed by Russia, Iran and Lebanon's Hezbollah.

  • A severe economic downturn in Turkey is making life difficult for the country's population of 3.7 million Syrian refugees. All photos: AFP
    A severe economic downturn in Turkey is making life difficult for the country's population of 3.7 million Syrian refugees. All photos: AFP
  • Syrian refugee Ahmad Ibrahim, 31, poses inside his textile shop in Sanliurfa, Turkey. Inflation has surged and the value of the Turkish lira has dropped.
    Syrian refugee Ahmad Ibrahim, 31, poses inside his textile shop in Sanliurfa, Turkey. Inflation has surged and the value of the Turkish lira has dropped.
  • Samira, 43, hears the same message from Turkish politicians on television day and night: Syrian refugees like her must return home. But her home near Damascus is still not safe, she says.
    Samira, 43, hears the same message from Turkish politicians on television day and night: Syrian refugees like her must return home. But her home near Damascus is still not safe, she says.
  • Refugees fear they will be used as a scapegoat for Turkey's problems in the 2023 electoral campaign, as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan faces rising public anger over their presence.
    Refugees fear they will be used as a scapegoat for Turkey's problems in the 2023 electoral campaign, as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan faces rising public anger over their presence.
  • Despite pressure from opposition parties, Mr Erdogan has promised that Turkey will not force Syrian refugees back and 'will not throw them into the lap of murderers'. But his assurances are not allaying their fears.
    Despite pressure from opposition parties, Mr Erdogan has promised that Turkey will not force Syrian refugees back and 'will not throw them into the lap of murderers'. But his assurances are not allaying their fears.
  • Fatima Ibrahim, in her early 30s, married a Syrian refugee after fleeing to Turkey nine years ago. The economic fallout is hitting them equally as hard as the Turks, she said. 'Employers pay us less, so locals are annoyed, blaming us for accepting a wage less than theirs,' she said, sitting next to her three young sons.
    Fatima Ibrahim, in her early 30s, married a Syrian refugee after fleeing to Turkey nine years ago. The economic fallout is hitting them equally as hard as the Turks, she said. 'Employers pay us less, so locals are annoyed, blaming us for accepting a wage less than theirs,' she said, sitting next to her three young sons.
  • Haifa, 39, English teacher from Aleppo, is fluent in Turkish after nine years here, and avoids speaking Arabic in public so as not to attract attention. 'I want to keep myself safe. Political issues affect us more than the economy,' she said.
    Haifa, 39, English teacher from Aleppo, is fluent in Turkish after nine years here, and avoids speaking Arabic in public so as not to attract attention. 'I want to keep myself safe. Political issues affect us more than the economy,' she said.
  • Since 2016, the Turkish army has launched military operations in Syria, battling outlawed Kurdish militants and ISIS extremists.
    Since 2016, the Turkish army has launched military operations in Syria, battling outlawed Kurdish militants and ISIS extremists.
  • Haifa said: 'Some people tell us 'go back to your country, you're having fun while our soldiers are dying there. You think it is easy to leave everything behind you? Your memories, your house, everything. You cannot even visit your mother or father's grave.'
    Haifa said: 'Some people tell us 'go back to your country, you're having fun while our soldiers are dying there. You think it is easy to leave everything behind you? Your memories, your house, everything. You cannot even visit your mother or father's grave.'

Turkey regularly carries out cross-border air strikes, often with armed drones, in neighbouring Iraq and Syria as part of its offensive against Kurdish militants based there.

The Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) launched an insurgency against the Turkish state in 1984 that has claimed more than 40,000 lives. The PKK is regarded as a terrorist group by Turkey, the US and the EU.

Turkey said on Sunday it had "neutralised", the term its defence ministry usually employs for killed, about 30 PKK members in cross-border operations in Iraq and Syria.

Essentials

The flights
Whether you trek after mountain gorillas in Rwanda, Uganda or the Congo, the most convenient international airport is in Rwanda’s capital city, Kigali. There are direct flights from Dubai a couple of days a week with RwandAir. Otherwise, an indirect route is available via Nairobi with Kenya Airways. Flydubai flies to Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo, via Entebbe in Uganda. Expect to pay from US$350 (Dh1,286) return, including taxes.
The tours
Superb ape-watching tours that take in all three gorilla countries mentioned above are run by Natural World Safaris. In September, the company will be operating a unique Ugandan ape safari guided by well-known primatologist Ben Garrod.
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, local operator Kivu Travel can organise pretty much any kind of safari throughout the Virunga National Park and elsewhere in eastern Congo.

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Washmen Profile

Date Started: May 2015

Founders: Rami Shaar and Jad Halaoui

Based: Dubai, UAE

Sector: Laundry

Employees: 170

Funding: about $8m

Funders: Addventure, B&Y Partners, Clara Ventures, Cedar Mundi Partners, Henkel Ventures

Sonchiriya

Director: Abhishek Chaubey

Producer: RSVP Movies, Azure Entertainment

Cast: Sushant Singh Rajput, Manoj Bajpayee, Ashutosh Rana, Bhumi Pednekar, Ranvir Shorey

Rating: 3/5

Sarfira

Director: Sudha Kongara Prasad

Starring: Akshay Kumar, Radhika Madan, Paresh Rawal 

Rating: 2/5

TOURNAMENT INFO

Women’s World Twenty20 Qualifier

Jul 3- 14, in the Netherlands
The top two teams will qualify to play at the World T20 in the West Indies in November

UAE squad
Humaira Tasneem (captain), Chamani Seneviratne, Subha Srinivasan, Neha Sharma, Kavisha Kumari, Judit Cleetus, Chaya Mughal, Roopa Nagraj, Heena Hotchandani, Namita D’Souza, Ishani Senevirathne, Esha Oza, Nisha Ali, Udeni Kuruppuarachchi

UAE central contracts

Full time contracts

Rohan Mustafa, Ahmed Raza, Mohammed Usman, Chirag Suri, Mohammed Boota, Sultan Ahmed, Zahoor Khan, Junaid Siddique, Waheed Ahmed, Zawar Farid

Part time contracts

Aryan Lakra, Ansh Tandon, Karthik Meiyappan, Rahul Bhatia, Alishan Sharafu, CP Rizwaan, Basil Hameed, Matiullah, Fahad Nawaz, Sanchit Sharma

Our legal columnist

Name: Yousef Al Bahar

Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994

Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers

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DUNE%3A%20PART%20TWO
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Denis%20Villeneuve%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Timothee%20Chamalet%2C%20Zendaya%2C%20Austin%20Butler%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%205%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Tank warfare

Lt Gen Erik Petersen, deputy chief of programs, US Army, has argued it took a “three decade holiday” on modernising tanks. 

“There clearly remains a significant armoured heavy ground manoeuvre threat in this world and maintaining a world class armoured force is absolutely vital,” the general said in London last week.

“We are developing next generation capabilities to compete with and deter adversaries to prevent opportunism or miscalculation, and, if necessary, defeat any foe decisively.”

David Haye record

Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4

Other acts on the Jazz Garden bill

Sharrie Williams
The American singer is hugely respected in blues circles due to her passionate vocals and songwriting. Born and raised in Michigan, Williams began recording and touring as a teenage gospel singer. Her career took off with the blues band The Wiseguys. Such was the acclaim of their live shows that they toured throughout Europe and in Africa. As a solo artist, Williams has also collaborated with the likes of the late Dizzy Gillespie, Van Morrison and Mavis Staples.
Lin Rountree
An accomplished smooth jazz artist who blends his chilled approach with R‘n’B. Trained at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, DC, Rountree formed his own band in 2004. He has also recorded with the likes of Kem, Dwele and Conya Doss. He comes to Dubai on the back of his new single Pass The Groove, from his forthcoming 2018 album Stronger Still, which may follow his five previous solo albums in cracking the top 10 of the US jazz charts.
Anita Williams
Dubai-based singer Anita Williams will open the night with a set of covers and swing, jazz and blues standards that made her an in-demand singer across the emirate. The Irish singer has been performing in Dubai since 2008 at venues such as MusicHall and Voda Bar. Her Jazz Garden appearance is career highlight as she will use the event to perform the original song Big Blue Eyes, the single from her debut solo album, due for release soon.

UPI facts

More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions

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WRESTLING HIGHLIGHTS
The years Ramadan fell in May

1987

1954

1921

1888

War

Director: Siddharth Anand

Cast: Hrithik Roshan, Tiger Shroff, Ashutosh Rana, Vaani Kapoor

Rating: Two out of five stars 

The five pillars of Islam
MATCH INFO

Champions League quarter-final, first leg

Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester City, Tuesday, 11pm (UAE)

Matches can be watched on BeIN Sports

Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Manchester City (0) v Liverpool (3)

Uefa Champions League, quarter-final, second leg

Where: Etihad Stadium
When: Tuesday, 10.45pm
Live on beIN Sports HD

German intelligence warnings
  • 2002: "Hezbollah supporters feared becoming a target of security services because of the effects of [9/11] ... discussions on Hezbollah policy moved from mosques into smaller circles in private homes." Supporters in Germany: 800
  • 2013: "Financial and logistical support from Germany for Hezbollah in Lebanon supports the armed struggle against Israel ... Hezbollah supporters in Germany hold back from actions that would gain publicity." Supporters in Germany: 950
  • 2023: "It must be reckoned with that Hezbollah will continue to plan terrorist actions outside the Middle East against Israel or Israeli interests." Supporters in Germany: 1,250 

Source: Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution

Updated: October 07, 2022, 1:22 PM