Turkish, Russian, Iranian presidents to meet in Turkey in April

MOSCOW/ ANKARA

Preparations are under way for Russian President Vladimir Putin, Turkish President Tayyip Erdoğan and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani to meet in April in Turkey, RIA news agency said on Feb. 19.

The agency quoted Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.

The three countries’ foreign ministers are due to meet in Kazakhstan in two weeks to prepare the ground for an Istanbul summit on Syria, the TASS news agency reported earlier on Feb. 19, citing Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif.

Erdoğan, Rouhani discuss Syria on phone 

The Turkish and Iranian presidents exchanged views over the phone late on Feb. 20 on the latest developments in Syria, particularly Afrin and Idlib, state-run Anadolu Agency reported, citing presidential sources.

The sources who spoke on condition of anonymity said Erdoğan and Rouhani stressed cooperation in the fight against “terrorist elements.”

The two leaders discussed the Astana process and the Sochi Congress regarding finding a solution to the Syrian issue, the agency reported.

The Syrian National Dialogue Conference was held in the southern Russian city of Sochi on Jan. 29-30.

At the Sochi meeting—which included representatives from Syria and the guarantor countries Russia, Iran and Turkey—a proposal to form a constitutional committee was agreed on by all parties.

Earlier in February, Erdoğan and Rouhani agreed to hold a summit on the Syrian conflict with the leaders of Turkey, Russia and Iran in Istanbul.

In the phone call, Erdoğan also offered his condolences to Rouhani following the passenger plane crash in Iran.

Iranian authorities found the wreckage of a passenger plane on Feb. 19 that crashed with 66 people onboard in central Iran a day earlier.