NewsAnalysis:SyriapotentiallymajorchallengetoTürkiye'sregionalreset,sayexperts_GuangmingOnlineNewsAnalysis:SyriapotentiallymajorchallengetoTürkiye'sregionalreset,sayexpertsbyBurakAkinciANKARA,March10(Xinhua)--Türkiye,whichisseekingtoresetitsrelationswithone-timefoesacrosstheMiddleEast,hasscoredafreshsuccessbyturninga"newleaf"intieswithEgypt.However,Syria,remaininga"freeze"inrelationswithTürkiye,mayprovetobethemostchallenginghurdletoTürkiye'sregionalreset,expertshavesaid.Since2021,Ankarahasbeenmakingeffortstoreconcilewithitsregionalrivalsinthepreviousdecade,namelyEgypt,Israel,SaudiArabia,Syria,andtheUnitedArabEmirates.InFebruary,asthelatestpushinAnkara'sregionalresetpolicy,TurkishPresidentRecepTayyipErdoganpaida"historic"visittoEgypt'sCairo,endingthelongtensionbetweenthetworegionalactors.Thecountryhasshownkeennesstoreconcilewithregionalneighborsasitisinurgentneedofinvestmentsandtradeopportunitiestoboostitsstrugglingeconomy.However,itremainsuncertainwhethertherelationsbetweenTürkiyeandSyriawouldthawafteranimpasseinrelevantnegotiationsinthesecondhalfoflastyear.EffortsunderthemediationofRussia,theSyriangovernment'smainsupport,failedtonormalizetiesbetweenTürkiyeandSyriaasexpected,saidOytunOrhan,aseniorexpertattheAnkara-basedCentreforMiddleEasternStrategicStudies."TheonlyissueonwhichAnkaraandDamascusagreeistoopposetheAmericanmilitarypresenceinnortheastSyria,"hetoldXinhua.OrhanpointedoutthatSyriaisseekingguaranteesfromtheTurkishsidethatitstroopswillwithdrawfromnorthernSyria,"somethingthatAnkaraisnotreadytoaccept."Türkiyehasbeenconductingmilitaryoperationsagainstwhatitdesignatedas"terrorist"groups,includingtheKurdistanWorkers'PartyinIraqandtheKurdishPeople'sProtectionUnits(YPG)inSyria.OrhanstressedthatAnkarahasalsosetconditionsfornormalizingrelationswithDamascus,whichconsistnamelyofholding"fair"electionsinSyria,thesafereturnofmillionsofSyrianrefugees,andcooperationincombatingtheYPG.SerkanDemirtas,aTurkishforeignpolicyanalyst,saidtheprimaryreasonforthecurrentdeadlockisbothparties'adherencetotheirconditionsandreluctancetomakeanyconcessionsthatcouldpotentiallyresolvetheissue."However,TürkiyeisawarethatwithoutnormalizationoftieswithSyria,theissueofSyrianrefugeeswillcontinuetobeaconcern.Itthusmayrejuvenatetheprocess,"heargued.Therearesome3.1millionSyrianrefugeesinTurkishcities,accordingtoofficialdata.Theyconstituteamajorsourceofpoliticalandsocialuncertaintyinacountrythatisgrapplingwithsevereeconomicwoesandseestheirpresenceasaburden.Ontheotherhand,thepotentialforaU.S.withdrawalfromSyriaaftertheU.S.presidentialelectionsthisyearmightchangethesituationinnorthernSyriaifAnkaradecidedtolaunchamilitaryoperationtowipeoutKurdishfighters,Orhansaid."TurkishforceshavetoremaininnorthernSyriatosafeguardlocalpeoplefromtheextremistgroup'sattacksandalsoprotecttheTurkishborder,"asourceclosetotheAnkaragovernmenttoldXinhuaonconditionofanonymity.InNovemberlastyear,SyrianPresidentBasharal-AssadandhisTurkishcounterpart,Erdogan,participatedinthejointArab-IslamicsummitcenteredaroundtheGazaconflict.ThemeetingheldinSaudiArabia'sRiyadhwastheonlyoccasioninwhichthetwoleaderswerebroughtunderoneroofsincethestartoftheSyriancivilwarin2011.Yettherewasnopublichandshakebetweenthetwopresidents."PresidentErdoganalreadysaidhecouldmeethisSyriancounterpart,butfornowthereisnomeetingscheduled,"theTurkishsourceadded.Inaddition,RussianForeignMinisterSergeiLavrovstatedonMarch3thattheprospectsfornormalizationbetweenTürkiyeandSyriaaredwindlingduetotheIsraeli-PalestinianconflictinGaza.WhenaddressingreportersafterattendingtheAntalyaDiplomaticForuminthesouthernTurkishresort,Lavrovnoted,"NowpracticalstepsareimpossibleduetothefactthatwhatishappeningintheGazaStripandotherPalestinianterritoriesdirectlyaffectsallparticipantsinthisprocess,"accordingtoTurkishsemi-officialAnadoluAgency.ThetopRussiandiplomatreiteratedthathiscountry"hasbeenworkingonthis"and"willcontinuetoworkonit."Editor:DisclaimerTheviewsandopinionsexpressedinthisarticlearethoseoftheauthor's,GMW.cnmakesnorepresentationsastoaccuracy,suitability,orvalidityofanyinformationonthissiteandwillnotbeliableforanyerrors,omissions,ordelaysinthisinformation.