Erdogan Hosts Putin, Rouhani for Syria Talks

A trilateral summit on Syria kicked off Monday as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan hosted his Russian and Iranian counterparts in Ankara. It is the fifth meeting between Erdogan, Vladimir Putin and Hassan Rouhani in the past two years, as the sides attempt to find common ground on the latest developments in Syria, foremost a months-long regime-led offensive in Idlib Province to recapture the last major rebel-held bastion in the war-torn country. The three leaders are also expected to discuss a recently launched US-Turkish task force whose aim is to carve out a nearby “safe zone” that would be devoid of Washington-backed Kurdish YPG units that Ankara views as an extension of the banned PKK. The agenda also includes trying to pave the road toward a final political solution to end the nearly decade-long conflict and, thereafter, planning Syria’s reconstruction. Both Russia and Iran are staunch supporters of Damascus, and their intervention in the war essentially saved the Assad regime. By contrast, Turkey has backed rebel fighters and has its own forces stationed in Idlib, as well as along the shared border with Syria. With Assad’s continued leadership all but guaranteed, Erdogan has shifted his focus to preventing a mass influx of civilians into Turkey due to fighting in Idlib. Turkey is already home to over 3.5 million Syrian refugees, a situation that has caused Erdogan significant political setbacks.