SOHR: Putin and Erdogan meet focusses on Syria
On September 29, 2021, Russian President Vladimir Putin met his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Sochi. TASS reported that the talks began at approximately 13:30 Moscow time and lasted about three hours. Presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov had earlier told the media that during Erdogan’s visit a very vast agenda might be touched upon – from bilateral relations to Syria and other regional conflict. Syria was one of the main agendas of Putin Erdogan meet. A Turkish newspaper had previously quoted a senior Turkish official, speaking on condition of anonymity that the main agenda of the talks were Syria, namely Iblib. “The conditions set out in the Idlib agreement have not been fully implemented”, the official was quoted. A week before the meeting, Erdogan had remarked: “The regime in Syria poses a threat in the south of Turkey. So, as a friend to Russia, I expect from [Vladimir Putin] Putin and Russia a different approach as a requirement of solidarity”.
It may be mentioned that in March 2020, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had reached agreement on a cease-fire in North-West Syria where escalating fighting had threatened to put forces from the two countries into direct conflict. As per the agreement, it was also decided to set up a security corridor along a key east-west highway in Idlib province.
“The steps we take together regarding Syria carry great importance. The peace there is dependent on Turkey-Russia ties,” Erdogan said at the start of the talks. “Peace (in Syria) depends on the relations between Turkey and Russia,” Erdogan said to Putin. The Turkish President was accompanied by the head of Turkey’s National Intelligence Organization (MIT) Hakan Fidan, Communications Director Fahrettin Altun and Presidential Spokesperson Ibrahim Kalın.
On Syria, Russia is the main ally of the Syrian government while Turkey supports groups that have fought to unseat Syrian President Bashar Assad. However, However, Russian and Turkish troops have cooperated in Idlib, the final bastion of the rebel forces. During the meet, Putin pointed to the successful cooperation of the two countries on the situation in Syria. “We do not always agree with our Turkish partners in their assessments of what is happening in Syria. But every time at critical moments, based on the high level of bilateral relations that we have achieved, we have so far managed to find common ground on the controversial issues that have arisen, and reach acceptable solutions. So, it happened this time,” Putin said at the signing of the agreement.
However, the meeting between Erdogan and Putin held on the heels of Turkish backed fighters alleging that Russia had intensified the air-strikes in Idlib. On September 26. warplanes attacked Turkey-backed opposition fighters in northern Syria. airstrike was carried out by Russian warplanes, opposition activists said. The airstrike hit a center for a Turkey-backed group known as the Hamza Division killing seven fighters and wounding 13, according to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
Turkey send more troops to Syria but as per Turkish defence officials, they were troop rotations rather than troop reinforcements.
Source: New Delhi Times