Türkiye says meeting on Syria at level of heads of state likely this year

ANKARA

Türkiye's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu on Monday said a possible meeting at the level of heads of state on Syria will most likely be held this year.

In a televised interview, Cavusoglu said in the next stage after Wednesday's quadrilateral meeting on Syria between Ankara, Moscow, Tehran, and Damascus, "it plans to hold a meeting at the level of heads of state."

"That will very likely be done in 2023," he added.

Regarding the upcoming foreign ministerial-level meeting on Syria in Russia's capital Moscow, Cavusoglu said the talks will start on Wednesday morning and there will be bilateral talks as well. Iran has confirmed that it will participate at the ministerial level.

"The primary purpose of this engagement is the revival of the political process. Without this process and a political solution, the conflict in the country may continue for decades," he said.

Additionally, this engagement is "vitally important" for Syrians in Türkiye to return to their home, he said.

Also, another agenda item of the meeting is to fight against terrorists in the region, he said adding the fight against Daesh and PKK/YPG terrorist organizations is very important for both Türkiye and Syria.

He added that there are topics to be touched upon in the meeting, such as humanitarian issues, and it is necessary to cooperate with the regime on these issues.

Recalling Türkiye's commitment to Syria's territorial integrity and sovereignty, he said: "Türkiye is one of the countries that most support the territorial integrity of Syria. This issue is of vital importance to Ankara."

Stating that steps should be taken to ensure unity in Syria and joint action should be taken in this regard, he said: "Syria needs a permanent normalization and we want to contribute to it."

Last December, the defense ministers and intelligence chiefs of Türkiye, Russia, and the Syrian regime met in Moscow and agreed to continue tripartite meetings to ensure stability in Syria and the wider region.

Iran was also included in the talks, with Türkiye saying earlier that Ankara would be "pleased if Iran is involved in this process."

Besides, reiterating Türkiye's efforts toward normalization of relations with Armenia, Cavusoglu said their aim is to take some steps toward normalization with Armenia and to contribute to the peace negotiations between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Asked about the inauguration of the "Nemesis Monument" in the Armenian capital Yerevan, he said with the monument, Armenia once again showed that "it is not sincere in the normalization process."

The monument is dedicated to the perpetrators of assassinations against the Ottoman political and military leaders in the early 1920s, as well as the Azerbaijani officials of the time and even some Ottoman citizens of Armenian origin, according to the Turkish Foreign Ministry.

Cavusoglu also emphasized that it is "not acceptable to erect the statue of terrorists who martyred diplomats, Ottoman and Azerbaijani officials."

Türkiye warned Armenia that it will take "the necessary steps" if they do not remove the statue, he said.