Ankara tripartite summit on Syria offers nothing new
While the summit delivered nothing new, the reality has changed irreversibly in favor of the Syrian state.
Photo: MNA
By Abdalla Ahmed
Once again, a trilateral summit on Syria has been held in Ankara, Turkey, the fifth such summit since 2017 which brought together the presidents of Turkey, Russia and Iran. The summit does not differ from the previous ones, whether in context or form.
The final statement itself and the position of the three states did not differ much from the earlier statements of the past summits. It is true that the course of Astana, Sochi, and the five summits held among the leaders of these countries have contributed to some extent to provide the environment to enable the Syrian army to liberate some areas.
However, the recent shifts in Syria, where the Syrian army has managed to liberate Hama countryside and important parts of the Idlib province, have dramatically altered the landscape, diminished Turkey’s maneuverability, and has put to it some not easy options.
In the past eight years of the Syrian crisis, Turkey has done its best to change the political reality in Syria, to change the regime there in coordination and direct cooperation with the United States and other western powers. Turkey has provided safe passage, security, military, and political support to terrorist groups that espouse extremist ideology, especially to the Muslim Brotherhood.
Turkish intentions currently are clear: too recognize the elimination of terrorists in Idlib, in return for establishing a safe zone in northern Syria. This was evident at the press conference of the tripartite summit that the three leaders President Hassan Rouhani of Iran, President Vladimir Putin of Russia, and President Reccep Tayip Erdogan held in Ankara, though the statement stressed the territorial integrity of Syria, At the same time, Erdogan is seeking to undermine this sovereignty by creating a new reality – of the “safe zones”. However, its options are now limited.
Turkey, wants to maintain special relations with Russia and Iran, while at the same time is trying to prolong the crisis and create new complications on the ground in agreement and coordination with the United States.However, President Putin’s reference to the need to end terrorism in Idlib may be a sign of a new campaign to free the region from terrorists, and that is really the only tangible achievement of the summit.
In any case, the summit itself was held to maintain a regional balance, and in order to create the right environment for a broader regional understanding which will be acceptable to both Russia and the United States.
On the other hand Syria and Iran share strong bonds for many years; the interests and objectives of both countries largely converge. Both are also targeted by the US. This explains Iran’s supportive role regarding Syria in all military, political, and economic matters. This is understandable, since the war on Syria also targets Iran as well as Russia. At the same time, Iran is seeking to maintain its regional presence, but Iran is not on the verge of any clash with Turkey with whom it has good economic relations.
In any case Damascus has warned both Turkey and the United States against taking any actions on the ground, as it considers the establishment of safe zones as an aggression and occupation, which it rejects and is ready to confront, if necessary. As a result, the summit did not lead to a major breakthrough regarding the settlement of the Syrian crisis.
This resolution of the crisis demands the end of the terrorism in Idlib and expulsion of the Americans from eastern Syria. The Constitutional Committee and other measures which were subjects discussed at the summit were merely symbolic. All three – Iran, Russia, and Turkey are well aware that Damascus will not allow the breach of the Syrian constitution as happened in Iraq through the Bremer Constitution.
Syria has recovered, and what remains within the framework of security operations is to secure its borders and begin reconstruction, but the settlement may take longer due to US obstruction …
Hence, the summit delivered nothing new, but the reality has changed irreversibly in favor of the Syrian state
