First Meeting in 11 Years: Tripartite Meeting in Moscow

Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar and intelligence chief Hakan Fidan met on Wednesday with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, Syrian Defense Minister Ali Mahmoud Abbas, and the heads of Syrian and Russian intelligence in Moscow. According to reports from Al-Hurra, the meeting discussed the Syrian crisis, the refugee issue, and joint efforts to combat all "terrorist organizations" on Syrian territory. As a result of the meeting, it was agreed to continue trilateral meetings to ensure and maintain stability in Syria and the broader region. The Russian Ministry of Defense stated in a release that "trilateral talks were held in Moscow between the defense ministers of the Russian Federation, the Syrian Arab Republic, and the Republic of Turkey." The ministry explained that discussions between Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, Turkish Minister Hulusi Akar, and Syrian Minister Ali Mahmoud Abbas addressed "ways to resolve the Syrian crisis and the refugee issue," as well as "joint efforts to combat extremist groups." The Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) reported that "a trilateral discussion session was held today (Wednesday) in Moscow among the defense ministers of Syria, Russia, and Turkey, focusing on solutions in Syria, the refugee issue, and efforts to fight terrorism." The agency noted the "emphasis on the importance and necessity of continuing dialogue to stabilize the situation in the region." This meeting is the first official level meeting between Turkey and Syria since the outbreak of the Syrian crisis in 2011, which has led to strained relations between Ankara and Damascus. The foreign ministers of the two countries had a brief informal conversation on the sidelines of a regional summit in 2021, and Ankara had previously acknowledged intelligence-level communications. Syria witnessed protests against the government in early 2011 that soon escalated into an armed conflict and severely strained relations between Damascus and Ankara. At the onset of the conflict, Turkey strongly opposed Bashar al-Assad's regime, supported Syrian opposition factions, and hosted around four million Syrian refugees. The conflict in Syria has resulted in the deaths of about half a million people, caused massive destruction to infrastructure and productive sectors, and led to the displacement of millions of residents both within and outside the country. However, Turkey, which currently deploys troops in Syria, has recently changed its stance toward Damascus amid efforts to strengthen its relations with Arab countries.