Turkish PM: 'The essential thing is Assad's removal from power'

Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu said that Turkey will not approve any political formulation which Syrian people do not accept, reiterating that there is no change in Ankara's position that the regime had lost legitimacy.

“Turkey is clear on this issue. We would only approve the proposal that the Syrian people approve. Turkey would never accept anything else," Davutoğlu told reporters on his flight to the Southeast for the Justice and Development's (AK Party) election campaign in the province of Van.

Davutoğlu was referring to a recent proposal from several Western allies, including the US, that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad could lead a transitional administration for six months before resigning from office.

According to Davutoğlu, different political formulas may be negotiated and put forward during the closed-door meetings as part of the efforts to find a solution to the Syrian crisis, “but we have signed none of them. For Turkey, the essence of the matter is (Assad's) removal from power, not a transition period during which he stays in power symbolically," he said emphatically.

Turkey has long been a fierce critic of Assad's regime, declaring that no “peace" can be achieved in the neighbouring country without the incumbent Syrian leader's removal.

In September, US President Barack Obama expressed his readiness to work with Moscow to broker Syrian transition during his meeting with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, at the UN General Assembly in New York.

Reports claim that Washington's proposal includes a 10-member coalition government to govern war-torn Syria while Assad stays in symbolic power for six months before resigning. Assad has vehemently rejected all proposals of this nature.

Recent events indicate that Putin will not approve Obama's proposal. Three weeks ago, the Russian air force began a military campaign to support Assad, its closest ally in the region.

Moscow's move has sparked international criticism, while US President warned Putin that his military actions may drag Moscow into a quagmire in Syria.

European Union (EU) leaders have sought a permanent solution to Syria's political crisis and an end to the flow of refugees heading to the continent to escape the conflict. But they have apparently failed to find common ground on the role Assad could play in the solution of his country's crisis.

France insists on Assad's stepping down as soon as possible, while Germany would like see him playing a temporary role in the transitional period before he quits.

Britain wants to see the ouster of Assad at a “proper point" in a deal to be determined by international leaders trying to find a solution to end the four-year-old civil war in Syria.

The embattled President said earlier in October that it will not depend on any foreign official to decide Syria's future, including any transitional period discussed. "The future political system, and which individuals govern Syria, this is a decision for the Syrian people. That's why these statements don't concern us," he said in an interview with Iranian television which aired on October 4.

In a surprise visit on Tuesday, Assad flew to Moscow after Russia began air strikes in Syria in support of regime forces. This was the first foreign trip taken by the embattled president since the civil conflict erupted in his country in 2011.

His visit comes amid ongoing discussions among the world powers to decide his political future.

The Kremlin spokesman said Putin has been briefed about the latest development of the regime's fight against opposition groups. However, he declined to say if the proposal in which Assad would resign after a six-month transitional period was discussed during the talks.

There are no reports confirming Assad's return to Syria.