Syria lays three conditions for normalizing ties with Turkey in Russia

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
4 Apr 2023 12:45

The quadripartite meeting in Moscow comes after months of planning and talks between the parties mediating between Syria and Turkey.

Quadripartite meeting of the assistant foreign ministers of Syria, Russia, Iran, and Turkey in Moscow, Russia, on Tuesday, April 4, 2023 (SANA)

The quadripartite meeting of the assistant foreign ministers of Syria, Russia, Iran, and Turkey began on Tuesday at the Russian Foreign Ministry's guest palace in Moscow.

According to the state news agency SANA, the Syrian delegation will focus during the meeting on three points, "Ending the illegal Turkish presence on Syrian territory, non-interference in the Syrian internal affairs, and combating terrorism in all its forms.”

The Syrian delegation arrived in Moscow on April 2 and held talks with Russia's Deputy Foreign Minster and Special Representative of the Russian President Mikhail Bogdanov and the senior advisor to the Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Asghar Khaji.

The build-up

The Russian, Syrian, and Turkish defense ministers held talks in the Russian capital, Moscow, earlier in December 2022 where they discussed means of resolving the Syrian crisis.

"On December 28, trilateral talks between the defense ministers of Russia, Syria, and Turkey took place in Moscow. The meeting discussed ways to address the Syrian crisis, the issue of refugees, and joint efforts to combat extremist groups in Syria," the Russian Defense Ministry said.

At the conclusion of the meeting, the defense ministers highlighted how the dialogue was constructive, stressing the need for all three parties to hold further talks to bring more stability to Syria and the whole region, the statement added.