Russian President Vladimir Putin has welcomed his Turkish counterpart for talks on the future of the Syrian conflict. Moscow is seeking to cement its role as a power broker in the Middle East.
Image: Reuters/S. Chirikov
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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan began talks on Syria with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, on Tuesday.
"I believe this meeting will benefit the region, which is going through critical days," Erdogan said.
Putin expressed hope that the close ties between their countries would "facilitate solutions" to the Syrian conflict.
Before the meeting, Erdogan warned Kurdish YPG militia to withdraw from areas in Syria ahead of the expiry of a five-day US-brokered ceasefire.
The Kurdish YPG militia was expected to initially withdraw from a 120-kilometer (75-mile) strip of the border with Turkey as part of the deal. The ceasefire ends at 10 p.m. local time (1900 UTC).
"Today is the last day for all terrorists in the region to leave," said Erdogan. Turkey wants to control a larger safe zone, extending along a 400-kilometer-long strip.
Speaking before his departure for the Black Sea resort of Sochi, Erdogan said he would discuss the fate of towns in northeastern Syria that forces loyal to Damascus had entered.
Erdogan spokesman talks to DW
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The Kremlin said Putin was keen to find out more about Turkey's plans. Spokesman Dmitry Peskov also said Moscow would study a "new idea" by German Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer to create an internationally controlled security zone in northern Syria.
Ankara and Moscow say the talks are aimed at "normalizing the situation in Syria," where — despite supporting opposing sides — the two have indicated that they share some common ground.
Turkey, which is allied to Turkmen and Arab rebel groups in Syria, launched a cross-border offensive earlier this month against Kurdish fighters it describes as "terrorists."
Who are the major players in northern Syria?
The US withdrawal of troops from Kurdish-controlled northeast Syria and the launch of the Turkish offensive have created a complicated web of actors, from Russia to Syrian government troops.
Image: picture-alliance/ZUMAPRESS/Staff Sgt. A. Goedl
US: Troop pullback
Over the past years, US troops have supported Kurdish fighters as they battled radical "Islamic State" (IS) militants to take back control of large areas of northern Syria. In what was seen as a surprising turnaround, US President Donald Trump announced in early October that he was withdrawing US troops from the region's border with Turkey. This pullback left a vacuum for others to act and react.
Image: picture-alliance/ZUMAPRESS/Staff Sgt. A. Goedl
Turkey: Anti-Kurdish offensive
Trump's troop withdrawal was a de-facto go-ahead for Turkey to launch an offensive into northeast Syria. The region is home to a largely autonomous Kurdish population and Kurdish militants known as the YPG, who are tied to an outlawed Kurdish party in Turkey. Turkey, who has faced a Kurdish insurgency, sees the Syrian Kurds as a threat to its security, hence the military action.
Image: picture-alliance/AA/M. Akif Parlak
Kurdish YPG: Fighting Turkish forces
The YPG was one of the US' main allies in the fight to drive out IS from north Syria, but since October it has been fighting the Turkish forces that crossed into Syria. The YPG lacks strong air capabilities and defenses, putting it at a decided disadvantage in comparison to the Turkish army.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/G. Souleiman
SDF: Betrayed by the US
The YPG is the largest component of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which also includes Arab and Christian militias. The SDF, which fought IS, controls northeastern Syria and feels betrayed by the US pullback. It is now fighting Turkish troops and their allies. It has warned that the Turkish offensive could distract from making sure IS fighters do not renew their strength in Syria.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/D. Souleiman
Syrian government army: Deal made
The relationship between Syrian President Bashar Assad's troops and the SDF is a tricky one that shifts between cooperation, live-and-let-live and skirmishes, depending on the current situation. After Turkey launched its offensive, the Kurds struck a deal with the government that saw Syrian troops mobilized to fight the Turkish forces, allowing them to enter a region they had ceded to the SDF.
Image: picture-alliance/Photoshot
Russia: Stepping up, stepping in
Russia has consistently backed the government of Syrian President Assad (L, with Putin in 2018) and assisted its forces. After US troops pulled out of the Kurdish areas, Russia moved its troops in to act as a buffer for Syrian government forces advancing towards the Turkish army. Moscow wants Syria to remain united and has accused the US of creating parallel structures in the Kurdish region.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/M. Klimentyev
SNA: Turkey's Syrian allies
Turkey also has allies among Syrian fighters. The Syrian National Army (SNA), also known as the Free Syrian Army, is a Syrian rebel group that has fought against the SDF and Assad's government. Backed by Turkey, SNA fighters took part in previous Turkish offensives against Kurdish militias inside Syria. Currently, thousands of SNA fighters are fighting the YPG alongside Turkish forces.
Image: picture-alliance/AA/B. Kasim
IS: A renewed role?
One possible future actor is IS. While it was essentially defeated in March 2019, tens of thousands of its fighters and their families remain in prisons or guarded camps in the Kurdish area of the country. Nearly a thousand alone have already escaped from a camp that was caught in the fighting between Kurdish militias and Turkish forces. Should the situation grow more unstable, IS could regroup.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/M. Alleruzzo
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Room for agreement
Russia — the strongest military backer of the Syrian state under President Bashar Assad — has traditionally opposed operations by other states in what it considers Syria's sovereign territory.
However, both sides have said they support the idea of civilian safe zones in northern Syria, and Turkey has ruffled the feathers of NATO allies by purchasing a powerful Russian anti-aircraft system, the S-400.
Despite improving relations with Ankara, Moscow has expressed concern that Turkey's incursion has helped jihadis who were in custody in Kurdish-controlled areas to escape. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu on Monday said there were concerns that battle-hardened terrorists could return to their homelands, including Russia.
Meanwhile, Assad on Tuesday vowed to reunite all of the country under the control of Damascus, and said he was ready to support any "popular resistance" against Turkey's actions. He made the comments on a visit to areas in Idlib province recently retaken by Syrian government forces from Turkey-backed rebels.
