Turkish prime minister Binali Yildirim has called for Ankara to cultivate good relations with Syria and Iraq, saying both countries must be stabilised if terrorism is to be defeated.
Since assuming office in May, Mr Yildirim has repeatedly argued that Turkey should "increase its friends and decrease its enemies", suggesting the government's former policies have left Turkey isolated and should be changed.
“It’s our greatest and irrevocable goal: developing good relations with Syria and Iraq, and all our neighbours that surround the Mediterranean and the Black Sea,” said Mr Yildirim yesterday.
If acted upon, Mr Yildirim’s comments could amount to a reversal of the Turkish policy of regime change in Syria, adopted by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in 2011.
Having proclaimed Turkey’s goal was “zero problems with neighbours” in 2011, Ankara soon created crises by intervening in Syria after the eruption of protests inspired by the Arab Spring popular revolts, which toppled the Tunisian and Egyptian leaders.
Mr Erdogan called for Syrian president Bashar al-Assad to stand down in mid-2011 due to his harsh response to demonstrations. When the crackdown continued through that summer, Turkey formed the rebel Free Syrian Army to fight the regime.
Anjara also established the Syrian National Council, an expatriate opposition dominated by the Muslim Brotherhood, to serve as a government after Mr Assad’s expected fall.
In the end, Mr Assad clung to power, the Free Syrian Army did not become a coherent force, and the National Council (now coalition) remains divided and disputatious.
Turkey responded by funnelling arms, funds and jihadists from 80 countries into Syria. The two most powerful jihadi groups to emerge were al-Qaeda's Jabhat al-Nusra and Islamic State. The latter subsequently crossed into Iraq and conquered large swathes of that country's territory.
When Turkey attempted to counter Islamic State (also known as Isis), the group retaliated with suicide bombers, killing at least 257 civilians and wounding hundreds in Ankara, Istanbul and provincial towns.
Turkey branded Islamic State an enemy but continues to support Jabhat al-Nusra, which rules Syria’s northwestern province of Idlib and has a strong presence around Aleppo in northwest Syria.
No change
Although Mr Yildirim appeared to indicate a shift in stance on Mr Assad, an unidentified official said: “There is currently no change in Turkey’s Syria policy. Turkey does not want to have problems with any countries in the region, and emphasises the importance of ending terrorism as well as engaging in close co-operation for regional stability.”
He added: “Of course, Turkey wants to normalise ties with Syria, but there is no change in Turkey’s policy regarding Syria [under] Assad.”
A continuing policy of regime change could complicate Ankara’s relationship with Moscow.
Turkey recently ended a rift with Russia by apologising for the shooting down of a Russian warplane last November, after it allegedly strayed into Turkish airspace while on a mission over northern Syria.
However, although Russia has promised to resume trade and tourism, relations cannot be normalised as long as Turkey supports insurgents fighting the Syrian government, which is backed militarily by Russia.
Turkey recently reconciled with Israel after a six-year dispute over the killing by Israeli commandos of 10 Turkish peace activists seeking to break Israel's blockade of Gaza.