Syrian regime must take concrete steps for outcome, Erdoğan tells Putin

ANKARA

Syrian regime must take concrete steps regarding the stalled process for a political solution to the ongoing civil war in the country, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan told Russian President Vladimir Putin after the defense ministers from Türkiye and Syria held a historic meeting under the mediation of Moscow.

Erdoğan and Putin held a phone conversation on Jan. 5, the Communications Directorate said in a written statement, citing bilateral relations, the ongoing war between Ukraine and Russia as well as the Syrian crisis as the top issues the two men discussed.

According to the statement, Erdoğan informed Putin that the Turkish government is strengthening its energy infrastructure for the establishment of a natural gas center on its soils in line with a bilateral agreement between Ankara and Moscow. He underlined that the government is planning to accomplish the road map to this end as soon as possible and take concrete steps for its implementation.

Building a natural gas facility in Türkiye’s Thrace region came to the fore after Putin proposed so during a meeting between the two presidents in 2022. The move came after the European countries significantly reduced the amount of natural gas they were supplying from Russia in reaction to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Erdoğan presses for ceasefire in Ukraine

The two presidents also discussed the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine. Erdoğan recalled that negotiations between the two warring sides yielded results for the establishment of a grain corridor, exchange of prisoners and securing the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, stressing, “Calls for peace and negotiations should be endorsed by unilateral ceasefire and vision of a fair solution.”

Ankara has long been in talks with both sides for a permanent ceasefire and lasting solution to the crisis. Russian and Ukrainian foreign ministers met in Antalya in March 2020 under the mediation of Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, which was continued by the two sides’ delegations late in Istanbul. The talks failed to produce a ceasefire.

North Syria should be cleared of YPG

Another key issue on the agenda of the two leaders was the ongoing Syrian turmoil and its negative impacts on Türkiye, such as the presence of terror organizations on its borders with Syria.

Erdoğan conveyed two key messages to Putin, according to the statement. Citing the presence of the YPG terror organization in Tal Rifat and Manbij provinces in northern Syria, Erdoğan reiterated Ankara’s long-term expectation that these terrorists should be cleared from these areas. The Turkish president insisted that concrete steps should now be taken to this end.

A protocol signed between Türkiye and Russia in 2019 obliges the latter to remove the YPG from the mentioned areas. No action has been taken so far by Russia.

The second message Erdoğan gave was about the recently launched Türkiye-Russia-Syria mechanism that aims to resolve the terror problem and let the Syrian migrants return to their homes in a safe and voluntary way.

Erdoğan told Putin that the Syrian regime should act constructively and take some steps for a political solution to the ongoing civil war in the country. The Turkish president referred to resolution 2254 of the United Nations Security Council that calls for renewing or amending the Syrian charter and holding free and fair elections.

The U.N. has long been criticizing the Syrian regime for hindering political talks.

Meeting with Syria at leaders’ level possible

Erdoğan, addressing his ruling Justice and Development Party’s (AKP) provincial heads, briefly exposed the content of his conversation with Putin, particularly on the ongoing Türkiye-Russia-Syria mechanism.

Stressing that the foreign ministers of the three countries will come together in the coming weeks, Erdoğan said a meeting at the level of leaders will also be possible in line with the developments.

“Our objective is providing comfort and stability in the region. Our objective is to let peace prevail in our region,” he said.

Erdoğan said he will also speak with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky over the phone to discuss the ongoing war in Ukraine. “As we have spoken with Mr. Putin, we are in search of finding a softer ground [for talks],” the president stated.

Erdoğan, Zelensky discuss developments in Russia-Ukraine war

Meanwhile, The Turkish and Ukrainian presidents on Jan. 5 spoke over the phone and discussed the developments in the ongoing war between Moscow and Kiev.