Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar has said there are positive signs that the Syrian regime can cooperate with Türkiye for the return of 3.6 million Syrian refugees to their homeland, as well as on security matters, amid an ongoing normalization process with the mediation of Russia and Iran, TurkicWorld reports citing Daily News.

Defense Minister Hulusi Akar, in a televised interview over the weekend, provided information about his last encounter with the Syrian Defense Minister Ali Mahmoud Abbas in Moscow with the participation of their Russian and Iranian counterparts as well as the heads of four countries’ intelligence chiefs.

"We came together with the Syrian defense minister for the first time after 11 years. It was an important meeting. Dialogue is the key. Both sides acknowledge this. It is, of course, not possible to resolve everything at once," Akar said.

Akar stated he told his counterparts that Türkiye’s main objective is to fight against terror on its borders and protect the lives of millions of its citizens.

"Naturally, the parties may have maximalist demands but we are trying to turn them into reasonable ones. What will be the outcome of our withdrawal from the western Euphrates? Currently, one-third of Syria is under the control of terror organizations," he said, referring to Damascus’ calls for the complete withdrawal of the Turkish troops from Syria.

"We tell the regime that we have no oppositional stance against them. Our sole concern is to fight terrorists," the minister said.