A top Turkish official says his country can no longer insist on any settlement for Syria’s long-running war without Syrian President Bashar Assad.

Speaking in a panel discussion at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Friday, Deputy Prime Minister Mehmet Simsek said the blame for Syria’s nearly six-year war that has killed hundreds of thousands of people is “squarely on Assad.”

Simsek said, however, that Turkey has to be “realistic” and “facts on the ground have changed dramatically” in Syria.

“So Turkey can no longer insist on, you know, a settlement without Assad,” he said.

Simsek also said that Turkey has “high hopes” for Syrian peace talks planned next week and hosted by Turkey, Russia and Iran in Astana, Kazakhstan.

Source: Agencies