Erdogan Suggests Including Iran In Planned Talks With Russia, Syria

ANKARA (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 30th January, 2023) Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says Iran could join the planned talks between Turkey, Russia and Syria at the highest level.

"We say: let Russia-Turkey-Syria unite in a trio. Let Iran also join, let's conduct our talks this way, and let there be peace in the region," Erdogan said on Sunday, at a youth meeting in the Turkish city of Bilecik.

In December, a trilateral summit of defense and intelligence chiefs of Russia, Turkey and Syria in Moscow marked the first meeting between Turkish and Syrian defense ministers in 11 years.

At the start of January, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Erdogan in a phone call gave their positive assessment to the December talks.

On January 16, Putin and his Turkish counterpart discussed the normalization of Turkish-Syrian relations, including in the context of Ankara's initiative to launch consultations with the participation of Russian, Turkish and Syrian representatives. The practical significance of the joint work of Russia, Turkey and Iran within the framework of the Astana process of promoting the Syrian settlement was also noted, according to the Kremlin.