Turkey Softens Stance on Syria After Decade of Hostility

Turkish soldiers and Turkey-backed Syrian fighters gather on the northern outskirts of the Syrian city of Manbij near the Turkish border on Oct. 14, 2019. Turkey wants to create a roughly 20-mile buffer zone along its border to keep Kurdish forces at bay. Zein Al Rifai/AFP via Getty Images

ANKARA, Turkey—Turkey and Syria have remained bitter foes for the past 10 years, as the government in Ankara supports anti-government groups in Syria that the latter views as terrorist outfits.

But in recent weeks, Turkey has dropped a number of hints that it may be willing to open talks with Damascus.