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Turkey to develop ties with Syria - PM Yildirim Turkey PM Yildirim hints at mending ties with Syria
(35 minutes later)
Turkey's Prime Minister Binali Yildirim has said his country will aim to develop relations with Syria. Turkey has said it wants to develop good ties with Syria - in an apparent reversal of its policy towards its war-stricken neighbour.
Mr Yildirim said Turkey needed to boost diplomatic relations in the region. Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said Turkey needed to boost diplomatic relations in the region.
His televised speech appears to suggest a sharp U-turn by the government. Diplomatic ties between Turkey and Syria were severed after the Syrian conflict began in 2011. Turkey had long said the only solution for regional peace would be for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to go.
Turkey has long said the only solution for regional peace would be for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to go. Turkish officials say the move does not mark a change in Turkey's policy towards Syria.
Turkey-Syria diplomatic ties were severed after the Syrian conflict began in 2011.
Separately, French diplomatic missions in Turkey are cancelling their Bastille Day celebrations on 14 July for "security reasons", the consulate general in Istanbul has said.
Mr Yildirim said the stability of Syria and Iraq were crucial for the success of counter-terrorism efforts.Mr Yildirim said the stability of Syria and Iraq were crucial for the success of counter-terrorism efforts.
The news comes at a time of great political instability in the country, says the BBC's Katy Watson in Istanbul.The news comes at a time of great political instability in the country, says the BBC's Katy Watson in Istanbul.
In the past year, Turkey has been hit by a wave of bombings from both Kurdish militants and the so-called Islamic State.In the past year, Turkey has been hit by a wave of bombings from both Kurdish militants and the so-called Islamic State.
Since taking office in May, Mr Yildirim has repeatedly said that Turkey needs to "increase its friends and decrease its enemies".
"It is our greatest and irrevocable goal: developing good relations with Syria and Iraq, and all our neighbours that surround the Mediterranean and the Black Sea," Mr Yildirim said, in comments broadcast live on television.
"We normalised relations with Russia and Israel. I'm sure we will normalise relations with Syria as well. For the fight against terrorism to succeed, stability needs to return to Syria and Iraq," he said.
Turkey last month announced the restoration of diplomatic ties with Israel after a six-year break and apologised for shooting down a Russian warplane on the Turkish-Syrian border in November 2015.