The Defense ministers of Turkey and Syria met for the first time in 10 years

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) - Hulusi Akar, Turkish Minister of National Defense, accompanied by Hakan Fidan, the head of the National Intelligence Organization of Turkey, on Wednesday met with the Russian Minister of Defense Sergei Shoigu and the Syrian Defense Minister Ali Mahmoud Abbas, according to Anadolu Agency.

The Syrian crisis, the refugee problem, and joint efforts to combat terrorist organizations in Syria were discussed in the meeting, the agency added.

All sides agreed upon the continuation of the tripartite meeting to ensure and maintain stability in Syria and the region as a whole, per the agency.

Since the start of the uprising in Syria more than a decade ago, Turkey has undertaken different initiatives to end the bloodshed, including asking the Assad regime and Syrian opposition groups for negotiations.

Astana talks

In December 2016, Turkey worked with Russia and Iran to put a halt to the bloodshed in Syria. Foreign ministers of the three countries met in Kazakhstan’s capital Astana and agreed to a nationwide ceasefire. Some of the groups designated as terrorist organizations were excluded. Several rounds have been held so far discussing various issues including humanitarian assistance to Syrians.  

Sochi conference

In 2018, Turkey and Russia coordinated to bring together the Syrian regime and opposition groups. The Turkish delegation which represented some of the Syrian opposition groups did not attend the meeting in the Russian city of Sochi.

Syrian Constitutional Committee

Turkey supported the formation of the Syrian Constitutional Committee. It sought to adopt a new constitution for Syria in a bid to end the conflict. The committee has been discussing issues including the transfer of power, military restructuring, war crime accountability, and human rights. Ankara says it’s willing to consider all options as long as they’re beneficial for the Syrian public.