(MENAFN- Arab News) Saudi Arabia and Turkey have been holding extensive talks for the ouster of Bashar Assad's regime in Damascus the Huffington Post has reported. The move follows the successful Saudi-led Operation Decisive Storm against the Houthis to restore legitimacy in Yemen.
According to the report Saudi-Turkish efforts intensified during and after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's visit to Riyadh last month marking a turning point in the approaches of both countries to the intractable Syrian crisis.
'Turkey would provide ground troops supported by Saudi Arabian airstrikes to assist moderate Syrian opposition fighters against Assad's regime' according to one of the sources familiar with the discussions on joint military planning the Huffington Post reported.
Qatar is brokering the talks between Turkey and Saudi Arabia which appear to be on the same wavelength regarding the prolonged Syrian conflict.
'If the talks between Turkey and Saudi Arabia proceed successfully their intervention in Syria would go forward whether or not the US offered support' one source involved in the talks told the Huffington Post.