Turkish-Syrian talks in Moscow with maximum demands

Reports revealed information about a secret talks was held between the head of the National Security Bureau, Major General Ali Mamlouk, and the Director of Turkish Intelligence, Hakan Fidan, last July, in Moscow, with the participation of Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu.

According to Russian sources, “Mamlouk and Fidan presented a long list of maximum demands during the meeting”.

The Syrian demands included “respecting Syrian sovereignty, setting a timetable for the Turkish withdrawal from Syrian territory, stopping support for separatist groups, and returning Idlib, which has been under the control of Türkiye-backed factions since 2015”.

And also “the restoration of control over the Bab al Hawa crossing between Türkiye and Idlib… and the opening of the M4 road that extends from the borders of the Mediterranean in the west to Iraq in the east”.

Among the most important Syrian demands are also: “Helping Damascus to bypass Western sanctions and the return of Syria to the Arab League… Contribute to the reconstruction of Syria, and help Damascus regain control of the natural resources of oil, gas and agriculture east of the Euphrates”.

As for Türkiye’s demands, they included, according to the newspaper, “serious action against the Kurdistan Workers’ Party and its Syrian wing, the Kurdish People’s Protection Units”, and cooperation between the security services of the two countries.

It included “negotiations with the Turkish-backed Syrian opposition to reach a political settlement, the return of Syrian refugees, the establishment of safe areas in Aleppo and other areas in northern Syria with a depth of 30 km, and assistance and facilitation of the work of the Syrian Constitutional Committee”.

In parallel, analysts point out that any attempts to bring the Turkish-Syrian positions closer will not take place without mediation that could ease the conditions imposed by the two parties.

Meanwhile, political analyst and researcher on Middle East affairs, James Dorsey, recommends. 

That the head of the Turkish Homeland Party, Dogu Brinkek, will be the one who will conclude a peace treaty between Türkiye and Syria.

“At first glance, there doesn’t seem to be much in common between Erdogan and Brinkek,” Dorsey says, However, Erdogan sometimes turns to Brinkek to help resolve sensitive geopolitical issues… Because he has a network of contacts in Russia, China, Iran and Syria”.