Turkey recognizes it is no longer "realistic" to reach a solution to the conflict in Syria without President Bashar al-Assad (photo), a top Turkish official said on Friday.

"We have to be pragmatic, realistic. The facts on the ground have changed dramatically," Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Mehmet Simsek said at a panel on Syria and Iraq at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland. "Turkey can no longer insist on a settlement without Assad. It is not realistic."

As one of the main rebel backers, Turkey has long insisted al-Assad step down as part of any political solution to the nearly six-year civil war. But Ankara has refined its stance towards Syria in recent months, standing by as Aleppo fell to the regime and reconciling with the Syrian president's main backer Russia.

Turkish military deaths

Also on Friday, the Turkish military said a bomb attack by the so-called "Islamic State" (IS) group killed five soldiers and wounded another nine. The deaths brought the total number of Turkish soldiers killed in Syria since August to 54.

The Turkish military intervened in northern Syria in August with the tacit approval of Russia in a bid to clear IS from its border and block the Kurdish YPG militia from connecting two of its enclaves. After making initial progress against IS, the Turkish military and the rebels it backs have been bogged down for about two months trying to dislodge IS from the strategic town of al-Bab.

Turkish tank at the Syrian border last August

Ankara and Moscow

The rapprochement between Ankara and Moscow paved the way for the two countries to broker a ceasefire ahead of talks on January 23 in the Kazakh capital Astana between opposition representatives and the regime.

Last week, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's spokesman Ibrahim Kalin said a united and peaceful Syria was impossible with al-Assad remaining in power. "But we will see how the Astana talks go, we want to go step by step at this point," he said.

Previous US and Russian backed Syria talks failed to advance over what, if any, role the Syrian president could play in a transition.

Turkey's move towards Russia and shift in its position towards the president has come as it focuses on countering IS and the US-backed Kurdish YPG militia in northern Syria.





Pigeon Bazaar in Turkey Pigeon auction in the Turkish city of Sanliurfa A stream of men carrying cardboard boxes filled with pigeons heads to three tea-houses. Here, they sell the birds to a dedicated band of pigeon keepers and breeders at Sanliurfa's famed auctions. It's a pastime that has been thriving for hundreds of years across the region, as well as across the nearby border in war-torn Syria.

Pigeon Bazaar in Turkey Troubled region Sanliurfa is situated just 50km (30 miles) from Syria, in the southeastern region that has been rocked by clashes between government troops and Kurdish insurgents. But despite this, trade in the region has carried on.

Pigeon Bazaar in Turkey Passion for Pigeons On closer inspection, you can see that the birds are adorned with little jewelled piercings. This specimen is known as "Siyah Kinifirli" and is worth 1000 Turkish Lira (243 €).

Pigeon Bazaar in Turkey Precious hobby Auctioneer Dildas proudly reports: "I once sold a pair of pigeons for 35,000 Lira (8,500 €). This is a passion you cannot stop. I've been known to sell the fridge and my wife's gold bracelets to pay for pigeons."

Pigeon Bazaar in Turkey Peaceful friends When they are not trading, most of the city's pigeon enthusiasts head to the rooftops at sunset and let their birds stretch their wings. Hundreds fill the sky before following their training and heading home. "The birds are my friends. They give me peace," says 55-year-old aficionado Resit Guzel.

Pigeon Bazaar in Turkey Doping for healthy birds Vitamins and antibiotics for pigeons are also sold at auction. Guzel gives his 70 birds quality feed and regular vitamins. "Upkeep costs 5 Lira (1,20 €) a day, which is not much. Even if it cost me more, I wouldn't mind," he says.

Pigeon Bazaar in Turkey Too many pigeons In the early days of the conflict in neighboring Syria, there was an oversupply of birds on the market. Enthusiasts from northern Syria fled to Turkey bringing their pigeons with them. "Prices fell, but as the conflict escalated and there were no more pigeons coming from Syria, prices rose again," says 23-year-old breeder Ismail Ozbek. Author: Nadine Berghausen



cw/jm (AFP, Reuters)