Tehran, Iran – Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan repeated warnings that Ankara may launch a new military operation in northern Syria as he met his Russian and Iranian counterparts in Tehran. Erdogan, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi held a summit on Syria in the Iranian capital on Tuesday to resolve the differences. Russia, Turkey and Iran have held talks in recent years as part of the so-called “Astana peace process” to end the 11-year-old conflict in the Middle Eastern country. Erdogan has said in recent months that he would soon launch a military operation targeting Kurdish fighters Turkey considers “terrorists” in the cities of Tal Rifaat and Manbij. Located west of the Euphrates River, the towns are controlled by the Syrian Kurdish armed group, the People’s Protection Units (YPG). Ankara considers the YPG a “terrorist” group and says it is linked to homegrown militants belonging to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which Turkey has also labeled a “terrorist” organization. The PKK has waged an armed insurgency against Turkey since 1984, and tens of thousands of people have been killed in the conflict. The Turkish government has accused the YPG of attacking Turkish security forces in Syria. Turkey wants more help from Russia and Iran, but is able to continue its fight against “terrorist” organizations in Syria without needing any support, Erdogan said on Tuesday, reiterating his plan to create a so-called ” safe zone’ 30 kilometers (18.5 miles) long. from Turkey’s southern border with Syria. “You say you understand Turkey’s concerns and we thank you for that,” Erdogan said, addressing Putin and Raisi. “But words alone are not enough.” Earlier, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned against such an operation, and the Kremlin had previously expressed opposition to a new Turkish incursion. Both Putin and Raisi expressed support for the Astana format as effective in reducing violence and raising hopes for a diplomatic solution in Syria. They expressed their opposition to foreign intervention and the theft of the country’s oil and resources – a blow aimed at the United States. “We emphasized that the Syrian government must be in control of all areas of the country. Therefore, there is no justification for the presence of the Americans east of the Euphrates and they must leave this area,” Raisi told a news conference after the summit. All three leaders said they wished to continue efforts to resolve issues in Syria through dialogue and expressed their desire to help millions of displaced Syrian citizens, many of whom have migrated to Turkey. “The future of Syria must be determined by the Syrians themselves and without any dictation from abroad,” Putin said during the press conference, words echoed by Raisi. Turkey wants more help from Russia and Iran but is able to continue its fight against “terrorist” organizations in Syria without any support, Erdogan said [Vahid Salemi/AP Photo]
Joint statement
The three leaders, who also held bilateral talks on Tuesday ahead of the summit, later issued a joint statement outlining their agreements on Syria’s future. In the statement, they “expressed their determination to continue working together to combat terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.” However, they also “rejected all attempts to create new realities on the ground under the guise of fighting terrorism” and pledged to maintain Syria’s sovereignty. They also agreed that calm should be maintained in the previously negotiated “de-escalation” area in and around Idlib. Shortly after the UN extended cross-border humanitarian aid to Syria for six months, the leaders called on the UN and other stakeholders to increase their aid “without discrimination, politicization and conditions”. The three presidents also condemned Israeli military attacks, including on civilian infrastructure in Syria, as a “violation of international law” and destabilization of the region. They announced that the next tripartite meeting in the form of Astana will be held in Russia before the end of 2022. The summit came as Syria’s state-run SANA news agency reported that the country’s foreign minister, Faisal Mekdad, arrived in Tehran late on Tuesday. Mekdad is scheduled to meet with his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amirabdolakhian on Wednesday.
