Syrian and Turkish officials on Syrian territory holds a meeting with Russian mediation in preparation for a wider meeting in the capital Baghdad
Turkish military officials held a meeting with Syrian officials at the Russian Hmeimim air base, in Latakia province on the Syrian coast, after Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan met with Russian President Vladimir Putin, days before a meeting between the two sides took place at the Hmeimim base, on June 11, with Russian mediation.
Informed sources said talks between the two sides had resumed after being frozen for a while.
The meeting included a focus on the latest developments in Idlib and its surroundings, and took place after the meeting of Fidan and Putin, in the Russian capital, Moscow.
This security meeting is the first of its kind on Syrian territory.
The development came about two weeks after Iraq entered the mediation line between Damascus and Ankara.
The next meeting between Syrians and Turks is scheduled to take place in Baghdad this month.
Earlier this month, informed sources revealed Iraqi mediation supervised by Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al Sudani between Türkiye and Syria.
In an interview with a Turkish television station, al Sudani announced reconciliation mediation, referring to what he described as the role played by Baghdad to establish common ground between Ankara and Damascus, and stressing that he is in contact with Syrian President Bashar al Assad and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan regarding reconciliation efforts, stressing that we will see some steps in this regard soon.
Damascus requires the complete withdrawal of Turkish forces from Syrian territory before any reconciliation with Türkiye, while Ankara believes that its presence in northern Syria at the present time is necessary in order to protect its national security, especially with the influence and control of Kurdish parties over the areas of northeastern Syria with a Turkish declaration through the framework of Astana, which includes Russia and Iran, that it has no ambitions inside Syrian territory and that it supports the unity and integrity of Syrian territory.
On June 4, Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad stressed that the main condition for any Syrian-Turkish dialogue is Ankara’s announcement of its readiness to withdraw from Syrian territory, during a meeting with his Iranian counterpart, Ali Bagheri Kani in Damascus.
Mekdad also demanded precise Turkish pledges that reflect Ankara’s commitment to withdraw from the Syrian territories it “occupies” and stop its support for “terrorist” organizations.
Mekdad’s statement was preceded by Turkish Defense Minister Yaşar Güler’s announcement in early June of his country’s readiness for a military withdrawal from Syria, within specific frameworks and conditions that aren’t new to Ankara, according to him.
