Editorial Note: The following news reports are summaries from original sources. They may also include corrections of Arabic names and political terminology. Comments are in parentheses.

 

Syrian-Turkish Talks with Russian Mediation, for the First Time Since 2011

December 28, 2022

 

Turkish Defense Minister, Hulusi Akar, and Chief of Intelligence, Hakan Fidan , arrive in Ankara airport, after talks with Syrians in Russia, December 28, 2022 sabah daily

 

Russia, Syria, Turkey Defense Ministers hold talks in Moscow

By Al Mayadeen English, 28 Dec 20:50

The Russian, Syrian, and Turkish defense ministers held talks on Wednesday in the Russian capital, Moscow, to discuss means of resolving the Syrian crisis, the former's defense ministry said.

"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.

Meanwhile, the Turkish Defense Ministry said Defense Minister Akar and the head of the Turkish National Intelligence Organisation (MIT), Hakan Fidan, met Syrian Defense Minister Ali Mahmoud Abbas and Syrian intelligence chief Ali Mamlouk in Moscow along with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu.

"Ways of resolving the Syrian crisis and the problem of refugees as well as joint efforts to combat extremist groups in Syria have been discussed," the Russian RIA Novosti news agency said, citing the Russian defense ministry.

"Syrian crisis, the refugee issue, and efforts of joint fight against all terror organizations on Syrian soil were discussed in the constructive meeting," the ministry’s statement added.

"Turkish, Russian, and Syrian defense ministers as well as intelligence chiefs in Moscow have agreed to continue tripartite meetings to ensure stability in Syria and in the region as a whole," it concluded.

On Christmas, Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said his country was in talks with Russia to use Syria's airspace to conduct a cross-border operation against the US-backed Kurdish YPG militia in northeastern Syria.

The United States has been arming Kurdish groups in northeastern Syria, making grounds for oil and gas theft.

Turkey has conducted a number of operations in northern Syria against the US-backed SDF and the YPG, threatening further incursions over a period of months. 

Earlier this month, Erdogan and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin held a phone call, during which they discussed several issues, such as bilateral ties and the Kurdish forces in Northern Syria.

Russia has been receiving indications from Ankara and Damascus about being open to making steps towards one another and about hopes for a Syrian-Turkish rapprochement, Russia's special presidential envoy for Syria, Alexander Lavrentyev, told reporters on November 23, following the 19th round of the Astana talks on Syria.

Last month, Turkey ramped up its military preparations after an explosion in Istanbul, which Kurdish militants were held accountable for, though denied involvement. Ankara then launched strikes against what it claimed to be YPG targets, and the president gave the possibility of a coming-ground offensive. 

On Saturday, Akar announced that Turkey is in talks with Russia, which supports the Syrian Arab Forces, regarding the operation: "We are in talks and discussing with Russia about all issues including opening the airspace."

Erdogan has been threatening to conduct a new military incursion into northern Syria to move out Kurdish forces which he blames for the November bomb blast that killed six people in Istanbul.

The Turkish President also said his country is committed to destroying the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) "until its last militant is neutralized" and raised the possibility of conducting a ground operation soon. 

Russia, Syria, Turkey Defense Ministers hold talks in Moscow | Al Mayadeen English

***

Türkiye, Syria, Russia defense ministers hold first talks since 2011

BY DAILY SABAH

 ISTANBUL DEC 28, 2022

The Russian, Turkish and Syrian defense ministers met in Moscow on Wednesday, the first such talks since the war broke out in Syria, in a clear sign of the normalization of ties between Ankara and Damascus.

Speaking on the issue on Thursday, Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said: "At the meeting, we discussed what we could do to improve the situation in Syria and the region as soon as possible while ensuring peace, tranquility and stability."

Noting that Türkiye stressed its counterterrorism efforts during the meeting, Akar said: "We reiterated our respect for the territorial integrity and sovereignty rights of all our neighbors, especially Syria and Iraq, and that our sole aim is the fight against terrorism, we have no other purpose."

"We have told them (Russia and Syria at the meeting) that we are making efforts to ensure the security of our country, nation and borders," Akar said, adding that his country is "making efforts to prevent further migration from Syria to Türkiye."

He said that the Syrian crisis must be resolved in an inclusive and holistic manner within the framework of the U.N. Security Council 2254 resolution.

"In this sense, we assess that the work to be carried out in the coming days can make significant contributions to peace and stability in the region and in Syria," Akar added.

Akar also reiterated that the Turkish, Russian and Syrian defense ministers agreed to continue tripartite meetings to ensure stability in Syria and in the wider region.

It was also the first meeting between Turkish and Syrian defense ministers since the start of the war in 2011.

At the meeting, held in a "constructive atmosphere," it was agreed to continue "the format of trilateral meetings to ensure and maintain stability in Syria and the region as a whole," according to the Turkish Defense Ministry.

With accompanying intelligence chiefs, Akar and his Russian counterpart Sergei Shoygu and Syrian counterpart Ali Mahmoud Abbas met to discuss "the Syrian crisis, the refugee issue, and joint efforts to fight against all terrorist groups in Syria."

Akar and Hakan Fidan, the head of Türkiye's National Intelligence Organization (MIT), headed to Russia on Wednesday to have multiple meetings in the capital Moscow.

Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu on Thursday said that the second phase would be the meeting between foreign ministers.

Çavuşoğlu told Ankara representatives of media organizations that there is however no clear date yet for such a meeting and that January would be too early.

“This meeting has to be aimed toward taking concrete target-oriented steps.”

On terrorist organizations in Syria, Çavuşoğlu said: “The terrorist organization is a threat to Syria, and the regime sees this as well. We did not cooperate in the fight against terrorism, but it came up in intelligence talks. Engagement and direct contact with the regime do not hinder our fight against terrorism.”

Russia and Türkiye are involved in Syria, with Moscow, alongside Iran, supporting the Damascus regime against its opponents, and Ankara backing the opposition.

On Saturday, Akar told reporters that Türkiye was in talks with Russia about using Syrian airspace in a possible operation against the PKK terrorist organization’s Syrian wing, the YPG. Ankara had also indicated that Türkiye and Syria could work on counterterrorism efforts as the YPG occupies almost one-third of the land in Syria – damaging the territorial integrity of the country. After more than 11 years of civil war, Assad controls around two-thirds of the country.

"We are holding discussions with the Russians about the opening of the airspace" in Syria, he said.

The Turkish and Syrian foreign ministers had a brief informal exchange on the sidelines of a regional summit in 2021 and Ankara acknowledged contacts between the intelligence services of the two countries.

In November, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said a meeting with Syrian leader Bashar Assad was a possibility after cutting diplomatic ties with Damascus throughout the 11-year conflict.

In mid-December, he indicated that he could meet with Assad after the meeting of both countries' defense and foreign ministers.

"We want to take a step as Syria, Türkiye and Russia," he said at the time.

Any normalization between Ankara and Damascus would reshape the decadelong Syrian war. Turkish backing has been vital to sustaining moderate Syrian opposition in their last significant territorial foothold in the northwest after Assad defeated the opponent across the rest of the country, aided by Russia and Iran.

The meeting comes as recently Türkiye launched Operation Claw-Sword, a cross-border aerial campaign against the PKK terrorist group and its Syrian wing, the YPG, which have illegal hideouts across the Iraqi and Syrian borders where they plan attacks on Turkish soil.

The country’s air operation followed a PKK/YPG terrorist attack on Nov. 13 on Istanbul’s crowded Istiklal Street that killed six people and left 81 injured.

After the air operation was launched, Erdoğan also signaled a ground operation to northern Iraq and northern Syria to eliminate the terrorist threat, adding that "this is not limited to just an air operation.”

The president specified northern Syria’s PKK/YPG-controlled Tal Rifaat, Manbij and Ain al-Arab (also known as Kobani) regions as possible targets to clear of terrorists.

Tal Rifaat lies 15 kilometers (9 miles) south of the border with Türkiye. The PKK/YPG controls the city and surrounding villages, and Russian troops are present in the area. The Syrian National Army (SNA) controls areas surrounding Tal Rifaat from the north, while Russian-backed Syrian troops control zones mostly to the south.

Russian troops were deployed in some PKK/YPG-controlled border areas of northern Syria following a 2019 agreement that sought to avert a previous Turkish operation threat.

Türkiye, Syria, Russia defense ministers hold first talks since 2011 | Daily Sabah

***

Border security discussed at landmark Syrian-Turkish talks-Turkish official

By Orhan Coskun  and Ece Toksabay

Syrian, Turkish ministers hold landmark meeting Encouraged by Russia, rapprochement once seemed unthinkable Turkish official says border security, militant groups discussed

December 29, 2022

ANKARA, Dec 29, 2022 (Reuters) -

Landmark talks between the Syrian and Turkish defense ministers in Moscow included border security and how Turkey can act jointly against Kurdish militants, a senior Turkish official said, after a meeting underlining thawing ties between the foes.

Wednesday's meeting was the highest-level encounter reported between the sides since the start of the Syrian war more than a decade ago. Turkey has played a major part in the conflict, backing President Bashar al-Assad's opponents and sending troops into the north.

The rapprochement, brought about with encouragement from Assad's most powerful ally Russia, could reshape the war. But obstacles include the fate of rebel fighters backed by Turkey and that of millions of civilians, many of whom fled to the Turkish border to escape Assad's rule.

The Turkish official described the meeting as "positive".

That echoed a Syrian defense ministry statement issued after the meeting, which was also attended by the Russian defense minister and the Syrian and Turkish intelligence chiefs, who have met repeatedly in recent months.

"It was discussed how the Turkish side can act jointly against terrorist organizations such as (the Kurdish) YPG and Daesh in order to ensure the territorial integrity of Syria and the fight against terrorism," the Turkish official told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity as he was not authorized to speak publicly on the matter.

"It was emphasized that Turkey's priority is border security."

Badran Jia Kurd, a senior official in the Kurdish-led autonomous administration of northern Syria, said he expected "a new phase of deals and plans ... hostile to the interests of Syrians" to develop from the meetings.

Speaking to Reuters, he expressed concern this would "strike the gains made by our people in northern and eastern Syria".

Turkey has mounted three incursions into northern Syria largely aimed at the Syrian Kurdish group the YPG, which established autonomy over much of the north as the war began in 2011.

Turkey views the YPG as a national security threat because of its ties to the militant Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), and has been threatening another incursion since a deadly bomb attack in Istanbul last month.

Both Russia and the United States, which has partnered with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces in fighting Islamic State in Syria, have objected to this.

Notwithstanding occasional clashes, the YPG and Damascus have largely stayed out of each other's way during the war and have shared foes, including Turkey-backed groups.

But Damascus opposes Kurdish autonomy demands, and talks for a political settlement have made no progress.

CONTINUING THE DIALOGUE

Turkish-Syrian rapprochement seemed unthinkable earlier in the conflict, which has killed hundreds of thousands of people, drawn in numerous foreign powers, and splintered Syria.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan has called Assad a terrorist and said there could be no peace in Syria with him in office, while Assad has called Erdogan a thief for "stealing" Syrian land.

Al-Watan, a pro-Syrian government newspaper, cited sources saying the defense ministers' meeting would not have happened "if matters had not been moving in an acceptable way and according to what Damascus wanted" during previous meetings.

Syrian state news agency SANA, citing its correspondent, said the sides discussed "efforts to combat terrorism, the situation in Syria, and the question of refugees" at the meeting.

The three ministers affirmed "the importance of continuing the joint dialogue for the sake of stability of the situation in Syria and the region", SANA added.

The Turkish official also said it was emphasized at the meeting "that immigration from Syria to Turkey was no longer welcome". Turkey hosts at least 3.7 million Syrian refugees, the world's largest refugee population. Public sentiment turned somewhat against the refugees as Turkey's economic woes mounted.

"The first goal will be to build trust. Both sides will be looking for wins," said Huseyin Bagci, professor of international relations at Middle East Technical University, Ankara, calling the meeting "an important step towards normalization".

Border security discussed at landmark Syrian-Turkish talks-Turkish official | Reuters