... conducted away from public view, US attempts to contact its key regional adversary appears far from accidental. The move could have been prompted by changes in Iran’s relations with other countries, especially its evolving cooperation with China, Russia and Saudi Arabia. If any agreement has been reached (which is currently too early to judge), it would only boost Iran’s position in the region. The mere fact that the US is holding such talks indicates that it recognizes that regional changes ...
... 80. The tragedy took place on the busy pedestrian İstiklal Avenue, about 200 meters from the diplomatic quarter, where the Russian Consulate General and Trade Mission, as well as the Russian school, are located.
Turkish police detained a Syrian woman ... ... and to prevent new violations of Syria’s sovereignty by offering the Assad regime various forms of relations with the Syrian Kurds and their integration into the Syrian state structures. However, this process has never advanced.
After the Istanbul attack,...
... assessed, such as the situation in Idlib, the prospects for a political process in Syria, Israel’s role in the region’s future, the path to Syria’s reconstruction and the impact of U.S. policies on the emerging new order in the Middle East. Both Russia and the Islamic Republic of Iran regard each other as necessary components of the regional architecture that they envision for the Middle East. The paper attempts to shed light on the views of Moscow and Tehran on these issues.
Russia and Iran ...
Why Russia and Turkey Need Each Other in Syria
“Turkey is our close partner, our ally,” said Presidential Spokesperson and ... ... by withdrawing its observation post from Murak and launching a new operation in the north of Syria against the U.S.-supported Kurds. Given the situation, it is desirable for Russia to find a way of advancing the dialogue between Damascus and the Kurds....
... dealings with the Syrian government. “Of course, we’d like to avoid casualties. But the Turkish operation could, perhaps, help us settle some issues,” a senior Russian diplomat told Al-Monitor on the basis of anonymity. “If the Turks attack the Kurds, this may make the latter more flexible in terms of reaching an agreement with Damascus.”
Bye-bye, USA
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov voiced Moscow's view of the desired outcome shortly after US President Donald Trump announced the withdrawal of US forces from Syria last December. “The weapons, the territories and the military facilities that ...
... it will no more deliver armaments – this is a de-escalatory step towards Russia and seemingly towards admitting that the Kurdish region will eventually depend on Damascus in three realms: military sphere, energy and external policy.
Russia and the USA are both doing their homework: Russia persuades Al-Assad to sit to the negotiating table with the Kurds (and there is a chance that during talks in Sochi Putin has convinced Al-Assad in the need for decentralizing the Syrian state) while the American side presses the allying Kurds to discuss the future statecraft with Damascus. If Assad and the Kurds ...
... of this could be the emergence of cooperation between the government forces and Turkish troops in the fight against terrorism.
In this context, it has become strategically important to
show support for the actions of Turkey
, rather than defend the Kurds. The decision was made in part as a response to the tensions between the United States and Turkey that have been caused by the accusations that the United States is “harbouring” Fethullah Gülen. And we cannot ignore the fact that Turkey recently held talks with Russia and Iran, allies that support the Bashar al-Assad regime. The words of Prime Minister of Turkey Binali Yıldırım, who called for “a new page” to be opened in the history of Syria – one that would involve Turkey, Iran, Russia,...
