Turkey and Russia must find a path to a new agreement
The Syrian civil war has always had great potential to worsen any day. Since May 2019, the Bashar Assad regime has been pummeling the Syrian opposition's last holdout in the northwestern province of Idlib.
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Has Turkey entered the second phase in Idlib?
Long-standing tension between Turkey and the Bashar Assad regime just turned into a hot conflict. At this rate, everything else will take a backseat to military operations. The critical question is whether Turkey has moved to the "second" stage in Idlib – holding territory, reinforcing observation posts and exercising control around them, and enforcing a safe zone, 30-40 kilometers deep, for Syrian refugees and displaced persons.
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Despite supporting opposite sides, Turkey and Russia have maintained dialogue for the last several years in the Syrian crisis. Together with Iran, another Bashar Assad supporter, they initiated the Astana Process. They have taken several significant steps to lessen the level of violence in the country. However, the Assad regime has insistently violated the cease-fire and continued its attacks against the opposition and civilian targets.
Hardly a day goes by without the Bashar Assad regime bombing hospitals, schools and bakeries in Idlib. Since the Jan. 12 cease-fire, more than 130 civilians have died in military operations that undermine both Astana and Sochi peace deals.
After eight long years, the Syrian civil war remains a key issue for Turkey. The fight against terrorist groups, the refugee crisis and bilateral relations with the great powers are at the heart of Turkey's domestic politics and foreign policy...
Çankaya Palace in Ankara was home to a historic trilateral summit on Monday. The presidents of Turkey, Russia and Iran met for the fifth time in two years to discuss the situation in Idlib, refugees, the most recent developments in northeastern Syria and the proposed constitutional committee.
Still too early to be optimistic about stability in Syria
An important meeting was held between the leaders of Turkey, Iran and Russia in Ankara on Sept. 16. The three actors' positions were close in the last trilateral meeting. The leaders of the three countries agreed on the structure of the constitutional commission and reiterated their commitment to the territorial integrity of Syria. They also supported the idea of reducing the tensions in Idlib province.
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Main issues addressed at Ankara summit
Despite its ups and downs, the Astana Process is the only serious option currently playing a decisive role to create a permanent solution in the Syrian crisis
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At the Sochi summit, Erdoğan, along with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, reiterated their commitment to work together in finding a solution to the Syrian conflict.
Two meetings took place earlier this week in Warsaw and Sochi that were crucial for the future of the Middle East.
Since the planned wide-scale military operation by the Assad regime in July 2018 against the different military factions, Idlib has been the center of the Syrian conflict...
It's no surprise that we are seeing fake news about Manbij circulating in the media as the Syrian city is a significant location that will eventually shape the future of the whole country
What does the Sochi Agreement Mean for Idlib? What are the Implications of This Agreement? What are the Challenges Facing the Sochi Agreement?
Turkey has said it is resolutely committed to clearing the YPG terror threat from northeastern Syria and recently shelled YPG positions along its borders. Experts say Ankara will no longer wait around for the Manbij deal and will take any necessary steps to address the issue
If Russia and Turkey can make the Idlib deal work, their cooperation in Syria will mean the two countries have crossed a strategic threshold
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan held talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Sochi on Monday. .
Talks on Syria have brought Ankara and Moscow closer together, and are helping in developments and collaboration on other bilateral issues such as nuclear energy, natural gas, tourism and trade
Regime leader Assad wants to claim victory over Idlib to prove he has Syrian lands under his control, says analyst
It is crucial that the international community concentrates on diplomatic efforts to revive the political process, and it must also put more pressure on Russia, Iran and the Assad regime to prevent the imminent military offensive against Idlib
The crisis in Idlib has brought the question of Syria to the top of the agenda one more time for the world.
The Tehran trilateral summit did not result in the best solution to the crisis in Idlib, but it was a good starting point for the peace process
