Putin receives Assad - mediates Moscow to Erdogan?
In the Syrian civil war, Russia supports Assad's troops. Now Putin could mediate between Syria and Turkey.
Vladimir Putin, the Kremlin chief, received Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad for talks in Moscow. The meeting, which took place on a Wednesday evening, was broadcasted on Russian television. According to Putin, the discussions focused on the "escalation" in the Middle East and economic relations between Russia and Syria.
Russia is an important ally of Assad and supported his troops during the Syrian civil war. Moscow could act as a mediator between Syria and Turkey. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had recently suggested a joint meeting with Putin and Assad to normalize the strained relations between Turkey and Syria.
Erdogan sought Assad's downfall in the Syrian civil war. However, Erdogan now appears open for a fresh start. His government could invite Assad "at any time," Erdogan said on his return from the Quarterfinals of the Football European Championship in Berlin. Erdogan hinted that heads of state and government, including Putin, had proposed a meeting between him and Assad in Turkey.
Violent anti-Turkish protests in Syria
Assad stated that he would only meet Erdogan if the talks centered on the support of "terrorism" by Ankara and the withdrawal of Turkish military forces from Syrian territory. "The issue is not the meeting itself, but its content."
In the past, Ankara's focus shifted to preventing an extensive autonomous Kurdish region in the Syrian border region adjoining Turkey. Since 2020, the Turkish army has stationed soldiers in the northern Syrian region and, with the support of Syrian militias, controls two large areas in the border region. Recently, violent anti-Turkish protests occurred in these areas, resulting in the deaths of seven people. The protests were triggered by disturbances against Syrian institutions in several Turkish cities.
Turkey has taken in approximately 3.2 million Syrian refugees since the beginning of the civil war. The handling of these refugees has been a central political issue in Turkey for some time. Turkish opposition politicians have called for the refugees to be sent back to Syria. Against this background, the possibility of a new start in relations with the ruling authorities in Damascus has been hinted at several times recently.
After the violent anti-Turkish protests in Syrian territories controlled by Turkish forces, Putin could potentially use his mediating role between Syria and Turkey to address the issue. Russia's support for Assad's troops in the Syrian civil war, coupled with Putin's meeting with Assad, may provide a platform for discussion. Erdogan's recent suggestion of a joint meeting with Putin and Assad suggests a willingness to improve relations with Syria, despite Erdogan's earlier calls for Assad's downfall.
