Turkey's foreign minister, Hakan Fidan, said on Monday that the recent rapid progress by opposition fighters in Syria shows Syrian President Bashar Assad needs to reconcile with his people and engage in dialogue with the opposition. 

Speaking at a joint press conference in Ankara with his Iranian counterpart, Fidan mentioned that Turkey and Iran, which suTurkey urges reconciliation between Syria government, opposition to end conflictpport different sides in Syria's civil war, have agreed to resume diplomatic efforts with Russia to help restore peace. This comes after opposition fighters captured nearly all of Syria's largest city, Aleppo, in a swift offensive. The advance by the fighters supported by Turkey has been a big blow to Assad, especially as his allies, Iran and Russia, are distracted by their own conflicts. The recent push by rebels is one of the strongest in years, and it raises the possibility of opening another violent conflict in the Middle East. 

This comes at a time when the US-backed Israel is already fighting Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon, both of which are supported by Iran. Fidan, whose country has supported forces opposing Assad, blamed the recent flare-up on Syria's refusal to engage in talks with the opposition groups that Turkey supports. He said that recent events show Syria must work to reconcile with its own people and the legitimate opposition. Turkey is ready to help in any way it can to support this process.

Fidan's remarks surfaced as Turkish dissatisfaction with the failure of recent attempts at rapprochement with Assad. According to the remarks, the opposition fighters' shock onslaught may be intended to put pressure on the Syrian government to hold political negotiations.

Turkey wants to improve its relationship with Syria to tackle security threats from Kurdish militant groups near its southern border and to help bring back over 3 million Syrian refugees safely. However, Syrian President Assad has said that Turkey must pull its forces out of northern Syria before any normalisation can happen between the two countries. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi reaffirmed Tehran's unwavering support for the Syrian government during his Sunday visit to Assad before heading to Ankara.

One of Assad's main political and military backers, Iran sent military advisers and troops when anti-Assad protests in 2011 descended into full-scale conflict. Iraqi militias backed by Iran have arrived in Syria to assist the government in its fight against insurgents. An Iraqi militia official and a war monitor reported on Monday that around 200 militiamen travelled in pickups through the Bou Kamal crossing into Syria overnight. They are expected to head to Aleppo to help the Syrian army push back the insurgents, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based opposition group.

A video from the Associated Press showed armed insurgents at Aleppo's international airport. One insurgent was standing on a Syrian government flag, while others were tearing down a poster of President Assad. Some rebels were also seen climbing on abandoned aircraft and walking through airport grounds, which were filled with weapons and ammunition. The rebel offensive in Syria has raised concerns among neighbouring countries about the conflict spreading.

In Iraq, Brig. Gen. Miqdad Miri, a spokesperson for the Interior Ministry, said that security forces have been increased to protect the long border with Syria. Fidan reaffirmed Turkey's support for Syria's territorial integrity but warned that Turkey would not hesitate to act against Syrian Kurdish militia groups, which it considers terrorists if they take advantage of the unstable situation.

Fidan criticised the (Syrian) regime for failing to genuinely participate in the democratic process and for ignoring the opposition's justifiable demands. He stressed that Turkey "will never, ever allow terrorist organisations that seek to exploit the environment of instability," according to Fidan. No matter where it appears, we will eradicate any harm to our people and national security.

In accordance with the justifiable expectations of the Syrian people, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan voiced his wish that the instability in Syria would end. He and the president of Montenegro held a joint news conference on Monday. Fidan and Araghchi both announced that Turkey, Iran, and Russia will hold a new three-way meeting to discuss the conflict in Syria. "We have decided to hold closer consultations and dialogue, and with God's permission, we will cooperate to further improve the situation toward peace and stability in our region, Araghchi said.

Russia, which played a key role in helping Assad during Syria's civil war, has stated that it will continue to support him. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Monday that Russia is still in contact with Assad's government and will decide what steps are needed to stabilise the situation.

US Ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, mentioned that the Assad regime has ignored Security Council resolutions and refused to negotiate. She added that the US is closely monitoring the situation and will continue to work with regional partners to find a way to bring peace and calm to the area.