...
—a group, which has roots in al-Qaeda and may have the most radical post-Assad political agenda; however, now Russia is negotiating with HTS its future presence in Syria. The Russian side has contacts to other influential groups in Syria including Turkey-backed Syrian National Army and Kurdish-based Syrian Democratic Forces. One should not underestimate deep Russia’s links to the Alawite community in the West of the country.
Of course, the fate of Syria ultimately depends on the Syrians themselves, and neither ...
... out to Arab competitors such as the UAE, Saudi Arabia and other capital-rich Gulf monarchies. Moreover, the relevance of the latter imperative has increased since Syria’s full membership in the Arab League was restored in May 2023.
Ilya Vedeneyev:
Syria–Turkey Relations: A Road to Normalization
For its part, Damascus is also open to reviving ties with its Turkish neighbor, recalling the positive experience of developing economic cooperation and political dialogue in the 2000s. From the military and political ...
... ranging from tension and hostility to recent attempts at normalization. Some signs suggest a mutual desire to enhance relations, evident in meetings at various levels, notably involving intelligence agency directors and foreign ministers.
Ilya Vedeneyev:
Syria–Turkey Relations: A Road to Normalization
In Moscow in 2023, recent developments hint that normalization between Syria and Türkiye may be achievable. This includes the resumption of diplomatic contacts and positive exchanges between Syrian leader Bashar ...
... pressure from the West and a large part of the Israeli society to provide more support to Ukraine and to distance itself from Moscow. [
6
] This could result in Russian-Israeli relations becoming more bumpy and less predictable in future.
Ilya Vedeneyev:
Syria–Turkey Relations: A Road to Normalization
Nonetheless, any deterioration of this relationship has its limitations, as Russia and Israel need each other—both in the MENA region and globally. The Russian-speaking diaspora in Israel is substantial, and ...
The goal of the round table was to discuss the dynamics of quadrilateral cooperation in the context of regional trends in the Middle East. The meeting was attended by leading experts from Russia, Iran, Turkey and Syria
On October 18, 2023, a closed round table “Cooperation between Russia, Iran, Turkey and Syria in the Context of Regional Dynamics” was held. Russian International Affairs Council (RIAC) in cooperation with Institute for Iran & Eurasia studies ...
... this regard even before the May 2023 elections.
Therefore, potential improvements in the relations between Turkey and Syria would fall well in line with the “relations harmonization” approach that seems to be trending across the Middle East today.
Syria–Turkey Relations: A Road to Normalization
, 5.5 Mb
... Russia’s position largely determines the level of its presence in a number of regions, including Central Asia, the Caucasus, the Middle East, the Black Sea region, etc. Russia and Turkey interact effectively within the framework of international formats to negotiate settlements in Syria, Libya, Karabakh.
Turkey is seeking to play a mediating role in the Ukrainian crisis. Ankara sees this as an opportunity to strengthen its position in the international arena. As an initiator and mediator in implementing the new regional ...
... reconciliation between the feuding groups in Syria and normalization of Damascus’ relationships with the neighboring Arab nations. Moscow goes on looking for new approaches to the conflict settlement by launching new regional tracks, such as the Russia-Iran-Syria-Turkey format, capable of introducing a new positive dynamic. Taking other regional (Iranian-Saudi, Turkish-Saudi normalization, etc.) and global processes (transformation of the unipolar world, the emergence of new regional centers of power, the development ...
... independence in 2017. In this sense, Russia will have to work patiently with the Syrian leadership as well, which so far has tended to equate any autonomous status with separatism.
Third.
The Biden administration’s response to the triple-format talks between Syria, Turkey, and Russia was quite revealing. In this particular situation, the U.S. has openly shown itself to be a “spoiler” of multilateral efforts to unblock a Syrian settlement. The State Department’s spokesman made it
clear
that the U.S. does not ...
... aid there.
In 2014, when the cross-border mechanism for the supply of humanitarian aid was launched, the delivery of goods was carried out through four checkpoints. Now there is
only one
left – Bab al-Hawa, which is located on the border between Syria and Turkey. In 2022, more than 7,500 trucks loaded with humanitarian aid crossed the border, reaching an average of
2.7 million
persons per month. In total, since 2014, thanks to the cross-border supply mechanism, the UN has
delivered
more than 55,000 trucks ...
