Erdogan to invite Assad for talks to restore Turkey-Syria ties

Turkey will extend an invitation to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad "any time" for possible talks to restore relations between the two neighbors, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Sunday.

"We will extend our invitation [to Assad]; with this invitation, we want to restore Turkey-Syria relations to the same level as in the past. Our invitation may be extended at any time," Erdogan said, according to a presidency readout of an interview by Turkish media.

Turkey severed ties with Syria in 2011 after the outbreak of the Syrian civil war, in which it supported rebels looking to oust Assad.

It has carried out several cross-border military operations against militants it says threaten its national security, and formed a "safe zone" in northern Syria where Turkish troops are now stationed.

Speaking to reporters on his flight back from Berlin, Erdogan also...