Iran, Russia and Turkey have jointly vowed to combat separatism in Syria following their 21st meeting as part of the “Astana peace process,” which is instrumental in shaping the future of Syria amid ongoing conflict in the country.
The trio recently met to discuss ending more than 13 years of conflict in Syria.
All three are involved in the Arab country, with Russia and Iran supporting the Damascus regime against its opponents and Turkey backing rebels.
Turkey has launched waves of attacks on Syria since 2016, targeting Kurdish militias as well as Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) militants and forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
The countries emphasized their unwavering support for Syria’s sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity.
🇷🇺🇮🇷🇹🇷 The representatives Iran, Russia and Türkiye as guarantor countries of the Astana Format <…> reaffirmed their unwavering commitment to the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of the Syrian Arab Republic.
📄 Read in full: https://t.co/OWxfpsubmK pic.twitter.com/6EN8mh4Dhp
— MFA Russia 🇷🇺 (@mfa_russia) January 25, 2024
They jointly addressed what they called the challenges posed by separatist movements and underscored the necessity of confronting initiatives that threaten to disrupt Syria’s unity, particularly those in northeastern Syria.
The US has 900 troops in Syria and allies with local partner the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), the Kurds’ de facto army in the area that controls northeast Syria, in the fight against the ISIL.
Turkey considers the Kurdish militant groups in Syria such as the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) to be an extension of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which is listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey and much of the international community.
The YPG forms an integral part of the SDF, which spearheaded the battle to dislodge ISIL militants from the region in 2019.
Turkey has intensified its cross-border airstrikes against Kurdish targets in northeastern Syria and northern Iraq in retaliation for the killing of more than 20 of its soldiers in PKK attacks in northern Iraq over the past two months.
The three countries said they strongly opposed “self-rule” initiatives under the guise of combating terrorism, highlighting the need to maintain Syria’s territorial integrity.
The tripartite alliance also focused on the critical situation in Idlib province, expressing concerns over the presence and activities of terrorist groups in the area. They agreed on the importance of maintaining calm and normalizing the situation in and around the Idlib de-escalation area, considering it crucial for long-term peace in the region.
In their joint statement Iran, Russia, and Turkey condemned “the plunder of Syrian natural resources” and “support for terrorism by third parties.” They reiterated their stance against all Israeli military attacks on Syria, denouncing these actions as violations of international law, sovereignty and territorial integrity. The attacks were recognized as factors that destabilize and exacerbate tensions in the region.
The countries emphasized “the importance of continuation of efforts for the restoration of relations between Türkiye and Syria on the basis of mutual respect, goodwill and good-neighborly relations in order to combat terrorism, create proper conditions for the safe, voluntary and dignified return of Syrians with the involvement of United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), revitalize the political process and ensure the unimpeded flow of humanitarian aid to all Syrians.”
The countries have jointly declared that the current situation in Gaza is adversely affecting the war-torn Syria.
The countries called for an end to what they described as the “Israeli brutal onslaught against the Palestinians,” urging the facilitation of humanitarian aid to the region.
