Turkey Will Hold ‘Technical Meeting’ With Russia, Syria In Upcoming Days: Akar

FILE PHOTO: Turkish soldiers seen at the border town of Akcakale © Reuters / Murad Sezer

On February 2, Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said that Ankara talks with Moscow and Damascus will continue, stressing that countering terrorist groups in Syria is the main objective.

According to the minister, officials from Russia, Turkey and Syria will hold a “technical meeting” in the upcoming few days.

“We are doing everything we can, in order to achieve positive results through these talks,” Akar said while attending the Distinguished Observer Day activities in the northeastern Turkish province of Kars.

Ankar went on to stress that Turkey wont take any step that could have a negative impact on Syrians taking refuge in Turkey, or still living in their country. He said that Ankara wants a “safe and voluntary” return for all refugees.

The minister didn’t clarify if Iranian officials will be taking part in the technical meeting. Earlier this week, Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov revealed that an agreement to involve Iran in the ongoing Turkish-Syrian normalization talks has been reached. Ankara welcomed Tehran’s involvement.

The Turkish-Syrian normalization talks gained momentum last December, when Akara met with his Syrian counterpart, Ali Mahmoud Abbas, in Moscow.

In January, the talks slowed down amid demands by Damascus of a Turkish military withdrawal from Syria, especially from the northwestern region of Greater Idlib. The issue will likely be discussed in the upcoming meeting.

Ankara appears to be open for at least a partial withdrawal. On February 1, the Turkish military evacuated one of its military posts near the town of Qastoun to the south of the strategic M4 highway in Greater Idlib. The move led to rumors of a near Turkish withdrawal from the southern parts of the region. Damascus will likely accept this as a first step.

Any progress in the upcoming technical meeting could facilitate a highly-anticipated meeting between Turkish and Syrian foreign ministers. This would be a major boost for the normalization talks.

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