Turkey, Russia, Iran to meet regularly to talk Syria: Erdoğan

BALIKESİR

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has said that Turkey, Russia and Iran will meet regularly to discuss the Syrian crisis, as he commented on a recent trilateral meeting n the Black Sea resort of Sochi

“As three leaders [Erdoğan, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and Russian President Vladimir Putin], we have taken very critical decisions to end the humanitarian crisis in Syria. Hopefully, we’ll begin to see the positive effects of these decisions on the ground,” Erdoğan said in his address to the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) members in the northwestern province of Balıkesir on Nov. 25, as he added that the three leaders will meet once in every 15 days or a month.

“Our meetings will continue regularly,” he also said.

Erdoğan, Rouhani and Putin convened on Nov. 22 for a key summit to discuss the political future of Syria, amid hope that the civil war is coming to an end and victory against jihadist groups is imminent.

The leaders agreed on the necessity of a political solution to the Syrian crisis.

In his speech, Erdoğan slammed the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) for “being interested in a fallen chair only,” referring to the accident when Erdoğan’s chair fell during the press conference at the end of the meeting in Sochi.

“What did the main opposition party see in this meeting? The only thing that concerned the main opposition regarding the historic Sochi summit was the chair that fell accidentally. It’s as if it’s not the main opposition, but a comedy stage,” he said.

Earlier in the day, Erdoğan also talked about the Sochi meeting, saying that it “was an effort to prevent human tragedy in Syria."

“The summit was a product of the efforts to prevent humanitarian tragedies and to build the future of the region in the fairest conditions possible,” he said during a graduation ceremony of non-commissioned officers in Balıkesir.