Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu has announced that a summit meeting between the presidents of Russia, Iran, Turkey, and the Syrian regime may take place in early May. According to the Mehr News Agency, Cavusoglu revealed during an interview with TV100 on Monday that there were proposals for dates in May, which were very close to the Turkish elections. However, there was a proposal for early May, and the date has not yet been finalized as Iranian President intends to visit Syria during that period. Work is ongoing to determine the exact date for the meeting, as emphasized by the Turkish minister.
Cavusoglu’s announcement came ahead of a quadripartite meeting in Moscow on Tuesday involving defense ministers and intelligence chiefs of the four countries. The aim of the meeting, according to Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar, is to discuss resolving outstanding issues through negotiations in order to ensure peace and tranquility in the region.
On December 28, 2022, the first high-level bilateral contact between Ankara and the Assad regime since the start of the Syrian conflict occurred in Moscow. Defense Minister Hulusi Akar and Intelligence Chief Hakan Fidan met with Assad’s Defense Minister Ali Mahmoud Abbas and his intelligence chief, Hossam Luke. Following this initial meeting, an agreement was reached to expand the “Turkish-Syrian dialogue” to include political relations.
In January, discussions were held, and a trilateral meeting was planned for February involving the foreign ministers of Turkey, Russia, and the Syrian regime. However, this meeting was indefinitely postponed due to Iran’s desire to participate, as well as pressure on the parties to include Iran. The postponement was further compounded by the earthquake that occurred on February 6, which affected both Turkey and Syria.
This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
