It is impossible to reach a stable settlement of the situation in Syria without Russia, the Foreign Minister of Turkey Mevlut Cavusoglu said yesterday. He confirmed that Ankara is ready to cement cooperation with Tehran and Moscow on a resolution of the Syrian crisis and on the anti-terrorist struggle. Cavusoglu is also sure that Russia and Iran support Turkey in defending the Syrian border and its territorial integrity.
“We used to have disputes on the Syrian issue with Turkey. These disputes need to be resolved within negotiations in a constructive way in a framework of existing international formats. Otherwise, we can ignore each other and do not accept arguments of our partners. At the moment we see implementation of the first scenario. We began a specific detailed work on the Syrian issue with the Turkish side. We assess that the work is positive and constructive. Existing disputes cannot be resolved in one day, as these are significant issues, but the work is going on, as we believe it is constructive and promising. It will continue at various levels and within various formats,” the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova said.
Speaking about cooperation on the Syrian issue between Moscow and Tehran, Ankara, Zakharova said: “It is a normal way of communication between the states that are involved in a settlement of certain regional problems, issues. Apparently, it is not a new format for settling old conflicts. It is a normal negotiating mechanism which works fruitfully and in a constructive way. It doesn’t replace any existing formats. It is a dialogue platform, an option for sharing views between the states. It is a normal practice. There is no any replacement.”
