Turkish officials, Russian FM discuss Syria

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov made a trip to Ankara on Monday where he met with Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan to discuss the evolving events in Syria as well as an end to the war in Ukraine.

Turkish presidency did not disclose details of Erdogan’s meeting with the Russian chief diplomat, but Turkey’s state media reported that the two discussed mediation efforts regarding the Russia-Ukraine war three years after the conflict erupted, the ceasefire between the Palestinian Gaza movement and Israel and the latest developments in Syria.

Earlier in the day, Lavrov and Fidan held a press conference following their meeting.

“We expressed satisfaction with the level of Russia-Turkey interaction on Syria and reaffirmed mutual interest in stepping up joint efforts to achieve settlement based on new realities,” the Russian foreign ministry cited Lavrov as saying during the presser.

A coalition of opposition groups led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) on December 8 toppled Bashar al-Assad’s regime. The group’s leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, was appointed as transitional president on January 29.

Russia had been a staunch ally of Assad, providing military support during its years-long conflict with rebel and militia groups, including the HTS, since 2011. However, in recent months, Moscow has signaled a major shift in its stance.

Earlier this month, Russian President Vladimir Putin held a phone call with Sharaa, expressing support for his government and reaffirming Moscow’s commitment to Syria’s unity and sovereignty. Prior to that, Sharaa met with a senior Russian delegation in Damascus in late January, where he emphasized that for ties to be restored between Damascus and Moscow, Russia “must address past mistakes.”

He added that they also touched on a range of other issues.

Ukraine has intensified efforts to become a member of NATO.

Fidan emphasized during the press conference that there needs to be a “realistic” approach to Ukraine’s NATO bid.

"We wouldn't mind if they want to be a NATO member, but we have to be very realistic because we openly stated that we are in favor of Ukraine to be a NATO member. This was the statement from our President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, so this is our official position," the Turkish state media cited Fidan as saying.

Turkey has acted as a mediator between Russia and Ukraine and facilitated a grain deal between both arch-enemies months after the conflict began.

Following a cabinet meeting on Monday, Erdogan said his country is ready to provide “all kinds of support [regarding the Ukraine-Russia conflict], including hosting the negotiations, to ensure a lasting peace.”

“We are ready to provide all kinds of support, including hosting the negotiations, to ensure a lasting peace,

Following a call between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, the US administration stated on Tuesday that it had agreed to hold talks with Moscow aimed at ending the war in Ukraine.

The devastating conflict began in February 2022, when Russia invaded Ukraine, triggering a war that has caused tens of thousands of deaths and displaced millions. The US and its allies have supported Ukraine with military aid and imposed sanctions on Russia. Meanwhile, Moscow has strengthened its ties with countries such as China and Iran.

 

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