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Zhang Xu, Xinhua writer, Zeynep Cermen
CAIRO, Oct. 28 (Xinhua) – A four-party summit that was held on Saturday in Istanbul, Turkey, apparently opened a promising path for Syria, with Syria itself missing from the discussion.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Saturday that the four-party summit, which also saw the presence of Russian President Vladimir Putin, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron, ended with a call to a large-scale ceasefire. the bloodshed in Syria.
Speaking at a joint press conference held in Istanbul after the quadrilateral summit, Erdogan said the summit had "a fruitful and sincere consultation," called for the completion of the process. of the Constitution Committee in Syria as soon as possible, reaffirmed its strongest opposition to the use of chemical weapons by any party in Syria, among others.
The United States, which has a preponderant influence in Syria, was also absent from the rally in which Turkish, Russian, German and French leaders, each defending their own agenda and pursuing their own interests in the region, spoke of the fate of Syria.
Analysts, experts and former leaders of the region shared their views on the summit held at the Vahdettin Palace in Istanbul during the Ottoman era, and highlighted the power struggles or the political prosecution surrounding a solution of the problem of Syria.
Cahit Armagan Dilek, director of the Ankara-based 21st century Turkey Institute, told Xinhua that the region was defining "new balances, new alliances and even new frontiers".
"The four countries participating in the summit are, one way or another, in the combat zone in Syria and it is obvious that each of them has different agendas and interests in the region, "he added.
According to Dilek, neither Syria nor the Middle East will return to their prewar days, and the region will continue to be a place of struggle for power by the world powers.
"Turkey and Russia are currently part of the bloc of Eurasia, while France and Germany represent the western world at the top," he said, calling Russia's hand of "very strong".
"Russia has prevented the fall of the Syrian regime, ensuring the dominance of Damascus throughout the country, in exchange for the establishment of two long-standing permanent military bases," Dilek said.
In addition, he added, Moscow also has a large naval base that strengthens Russia's ability to show its constant presence in the eastern Mediterranean, controlling the exit of Syria by the sea.
"By deploying S-300 and S-400 missile systems, Russia also has the advantage of generating far-reaching impacts," he added.
However, France and Germany do not have a significant presence on the ground. France has a military presence east of the Euphrates in the US-controlled area, while Germany has only a small unit of special forces with low economic support for the region.
Turkey has long been stuck in Syria because of US support for the banned Kurdish Workers Party and its affiliates in Syria. In addition, the establishment of close ties with Russia has damaged relations between Ankara and Washington.
"Turkey always wants to let it know that it is cooperating with both sides, but Washington has forced its ally to make a final decision," he said.
Dilek felt that Russia was aiming to create cracks within the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and had succeeded to a certain extent.
Analysts agreed that Ankara had played an important role in the evolution of the situation in the region and that it was "as strong as Russia" on the ground.
Enes Bayrakli, director of European studies for SETA think tanks, said cooperation between Turkey and Russia had led to several achievements, not only for both countries, but also for the European bloc.
"For example, Turkey's cross-border military operations have eased the pressure of the terrorist threat on the shoulders of European countries," Bayrakli told Xinhua.
He also said that European countries, mainly Germany and France, might feel "obliged" to participate in such a summit on Syria and take action when the United States begins to flee.
"The United States is the least affected by the events in Syria, they have not been attacked by any terrorist attack from Syria and have not hosted any refugees" said Bayrakli.
Some badysts in Syria have expressed cautious optimism about the outcome of the summit, particularly because of the involvement of Germany and France, who openly criticize the administration of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
The constitution of a commission to develop the post-war Syrian constitution, seen as a milestone in the organization of elections in this war-torn country, was also at the center of the summit's concerns.
The UN envoy in Syria, Staffan de Mistura, also attended the summit and discussed the possibility of setting up a constitutional committee.
"I think it is necessary that this committee be composed only of Syrian nationals without any foreign members, because it will be a purely Syrian question and that there should be no foreign interference in the drafting of the constitution of Syria, "said Hani Khallaf, political expert. Former Assistant to the Egyptian Minister of Foreign Affairs for Arab Affairs.
Khallaf also stressed the importance of maintaining the stability and security of Idlib, noting that the maintenance of the ceasefire was essential to ending the bloodshed in Syria.
Ankara and Moscow agreed in September, at a bilateral meeting held in the coastal city of Sochi in Russia, to establish a demilitarized zone in the province of Idlib, northwestern Syria , the last stronghold of rebels in Syria, urging rebel groups to evacuate.
As part of the deal, Russia and Turkey have decided to conduct joint patrols in the region to prevent further fighting.
Emad Salem, a political expert, said Turkey may have to "mix the cards", especially after failing to push the radical rebels out of the demilitarized zone, as promised.
The ultra-radical rebels were expected to withdraw from the area on October 15, but this was not the case with those linked to al-Qaida who refused to abide by the agreement.
The Syrian government had previously praised the Turkish-Russian agreement, but with some shortcomings reported by the rebels and their reluctance to leave, Damascus made it clear that his patience had limits.
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