Türkiye, Iran, Russia meet in Doha to discuss Syria

DOHA

This handout photograph taken and released on Dec. 7, 2024 by Turkish Foreign Ministery press service shows Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan (C), Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi (L) and Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov meeting during the Doha Forum in the Qatari capital.

The top diplomats from Iran, Türkiye and Russia met in Qatar on Saturday for talks on Syria, where anti-regime forces have taken parts of the country in a lightning offensive.

After the discussions in Doha with his Russian and Turkish counterparts, Sergei Lavrov and Hakan Fidan, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the parties agreed on the initiation of "political dialogue between the Syrian government and the legitimate opposition groups."

The three countries have been involved since 2017 in the  Astana format talks seeking a political settlement in Syria.

However, the situation in the country has changed dramatically in recent days after rapid gains by anti-regime forces who oppose Iran-backed Syrian president Bashar al-Assad.

On Saturday, a commander with the opposition forces that launched the new offensive said "our forces have begun the final phase of encircling the capital", though the Syrian defense ministry said "there is no truth to news claiming" the army had withdrawn from positions near Damascus.

Ahead of the meeting, Araghchi said he had "very frank and direct" talks with his Turkish counterpart and the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who this week called on Assad to "reconcile with his people", said Friday he "hoped the advance of the anti-regime forces would continue without incident", identifying Damascus as their objective.

Qatar, meanwhile, supported the opposition forces at the start of the Syrian civil war in 2011, but is now calling for a negotiated end to the conflict.

What changed the course of the developments in Syria was a counteroffensive launched on Nov. 27 by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and other opposition groups against the Syrian regime forces. The HTS and the opposition groups have quickly entered Aleppo, the country’s second-largest city, and Hama.

In the meantime, the Syrian National Army has pushed back the YPG terrorist group from Tel Rifat and other places to the east of the Euphrates.

Araghchi said during a joint press conference with his Iraqi and Syrian counterparts in Baghdad on Friday that the offensive in Syria poses a "threat" to the whole Middle East.

"This threat will not be limited to Syria and will affect Syria's neighbouring countries such as Iraq, Jordan, and Türkiye," he added.