ANKARA, Aug. 23 (Xinhua) -- Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Tuesday that Ankara will not set precondition for a dialogue with Syria, but it should be goal-oriented.

"There cannot be a condition for dialogue, but what is the purpose of the talks? The country needs to be cleared of terrorists," Cavusoglu said in a televised interview with the Haber Global TV channel.

"Our border security is important. Syria's territorial integrity and political integrity are important. It is important that people can return to the country safely," he added.

Türkiye has backed the rebels fighting with the troops of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad since the civil war erupted in 2011. The Turkish military has so far launched four incursions into northern Syria to fight the Kurdish People's Protection Units.

Cavusoglu also urged the the Syrian government and the opposition to reconcile, adopt a new constitution, and hold urgent election under the UN auspices.

"The only solution for the future of the country is the political process and this can be achieved by consensus," Cavusoglu explained.

In a statement issued on Aug. 11, Cavusoglu said Russian President Vladimir Putin offered to mediate between Ankara and Damascus, but there had been no contact between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and al-Assad.

The Turkish top diplomat added that he briefly spoke with Syrian counterpart Faisal Mekdad at the Non-Aligned Movement meeting held in October last year in Serbia's capital of Belgrade, offering to help the Syrian government contact the opposition.  Enditem