Turkey's push for dialogue with Assad may be a long shot but it signals a desire for reconciliation as Syria's ongoing crisis fades from international attention.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan's calls for talks with Syrian counterpart Bashar al-Assad are a long shot but meant to send a message of reconciliation in a region increasingly distracted by war, the head of Syria's main opposition abroad said.

Turkey and Syria severed diplomatic relations in 2011 after the outbreak of the Syrian war -- but Erdogan, who then supported rebel efforts to topple all-powerful president Assad, has sought rapprochement with Damascus in recent months.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Saturday that he is ready to meet with his Syrian counterpart Bashar al-Assad

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan's calls for talks with Syrian counterpart Bashar al-Assad are a long shot but meant to send a message of reconciliation in a region increasingly distracted by war, the head of Syria's main opposition abroad said.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is seeking a meeting with Kamala Harris in New York ahead of the UN General Assembly next week, in an early effort to sustain a recent improvement in ties with the US.