Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's plan to invite Syrian President Bashar al-Assad for talks has raised concerns among Syrians living in Turkey. Ankara cut ties with Damascus in 2011 following the start of the Syrian civil war. Erdogan has recently emphasized the need for reconciliation with Syria, which has caused anxiety among Syrians in Turkey who fear being sent back to parts of Syria controlled by the Assad regime. There are also concerns about the potential loss of Turkish citizenship. The presence of a large number of Syrian refugees in Turkey has led to tensions among the local population, prompting Erdogan to promise talks and a voluntary return for most refugees. However, anti-immigrant sentiment has caused some Syrian families to consider selling their properties in Turkey. Erdogan stated that 670,000 people have already returned to settlements in northern Syria, and another 1 million people are expected to return. However, the Syrian Network for Human Rights has warned that Syria is not safe for the return of millions of refugees from Turkey. [36b8f698]
Turkey's outreach to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Syria's readmission to the Arab League, the election of Iranian reformist Masoud Pezeshkian, and the ongoing war in Gaza indicate the need for the U.S. to reassess its Syria policy. The current U.S. policy of regime change in Damascus, separating Syria from Iran, and establishing a Kurdish enclave in northeast Syria is no longer viable. Turkey, the largest foreign actor in the war, has established a coordinated route for Islamist fighters to enter Syria, resulting in a wave of refugees crossing the border into Turkey. Erdogan now recognizes that Assad is here to stay and prefers him over an independent Kurdish enclave. Erdogan has invited Assad to an official state visit in Istanbul and offered to bring in Russia as mediators. Assad is eager to reestablish Syrian sovereignty and trade with Turkey. The U.S. has a window of opportunity to use sanction reform to secure a favorable deal between the Syrian government and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) to maintain a modicum of autonomy in exchange for Syrian government sovereignty. The U.S. should lift sanctions to jumpstart the Syrian economy and alleviate the refugee crisis. The U.S. must also find an accommodation with Iran to ensure regional stability. The U.S. should align with its Arab and Turkish allies who seek normalization and the return of Syrians to their homeland. The U.S. should not resist these efforts or risk being pushed out of the region. [280183d4]