Russia: Possible agreements between Turkey and Syria are on the table

A new statement came from Russia regarding the rapprochement process that began between Turkey and Bashar Assad’s administration in Syria late last year.

Turkey’s first official contact with Syria in December in 11 years had a major impact on public opinion in the Middle East. National Defense Minister Hulusi Akar and National Intelligence Organization (MIT) Head Hakan Fidan met in December with Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoygu, Syrian Defense Minister Ali Mahmud Abbas and the intelligence chiefs of the two countries.

Meanwhile, the news that Iran wanted to participate in the tripartite talks was reflected in the press.

Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov said they are working on a new schedule for the four-way meeting, which Iran will also attend. Noting that possible agreements between Ankara and Damascus will also be discussed, Bogdanov noted that intelligence agencies and diplomats continue to discuss the terms of possible bilateral agreements.

The Damascus government had previously stipulated the withdrawal of Turkish troops from the country in order to reconcile with Turkey. Syrian President Assad also stated that in order to achieve concrete results in the talks, Turkey should end its operations against Syria and support opposition groups.