Turkey, Russia, Syria FMs meeting may be held from January 14-16

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
11 Jan 09:31
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The ministers are expected to discuss the latest developments in Syria, developments in northern Syria, the fight against terrorism, as well as the return of refugees from Turkey.

Russian, Syrian, and Turkish foreign ministers (Hurriyet newspaper)

Turkish newspaper Hurriyet reported that the foreign ministers of Russia, Turkey, and Syria might meet in Moscow between January 14 to 16.

The report said on Wednesday that Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu is currently on a diplomatic tour in Africa and is expected to return to his country on January 14, after which he may visit Moscow in the period from January 14 to 16.

Cavusoglu might also go to Russia following his United States trip on January 1, Hurriyet added.

On Tuesday, the Syrian newspaper Al-Watan reported that "there is no agreed-upon date of a meeting between the Syrian and Turkish FMs," based on statements from informed sources.

According to the sources, "All news in this regard so far is devoid of truth," the Syrian media outlet added.

The Moscow meeting, which will include Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, and Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad, is expected to cover the latest issues in Syria with a focus on northern Syria, in addition to the fight against terrorism and Syrian refugees in Turkey.

The foreign ministers are also expected to hold talks regarding prospects to normalize relations between Ankara and Damascus.

On December 15, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he had proposed to Russian President Vladimir Putin a prospective meeting between the presidents of Syria, Turkey, and Russia preceded by a meeting of the chiefs of security apparatuses and defense ministers.

It's also notable that a tripartite meeting was held last month, which included the defense ministers of Syria, Turkey, and Russia in Moscow. Attendees discussed potential solutions for the Syrian conflict, the refugee crisis, and the joint efforts for combatting terrorism in Syria.

Following the meeting, Turkish presidential spokesperson Ibrahim Kalin stated that the "first meeting in Moscow was an important step in this direction," noting that, "there will be other meetings at various levels."

The leader of Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS), formerly Al-Nusra Front, Abu Mohammad Al-Joulani, called the Russia-mediated Turkey-Syria talks on Monday "a dangerous deviation from our goals".

Commenting on Al-Julani's statement, Kalin confirmed that "our relations with the Syrian opposition will continue, and there is no such thing as abandoning them."

He continued, "Our communication will be stronger from now on, because one of the important issues in our relationship with the Syrian regime is to guarantee the lives of these people, and for them to become part of the political process."