Turkey hosts summit to seek solutions to end war in Syria

ISTANBUL – Turkish, Russian, French and German leaders discussed Syria at a summit on Saturday, hoping to lay the groundwork for eventual peace in a country devastated by years of war.

Divergent views on Syrian President Bashar Assad, backed by Russia and Iran and whose government took over most of the territory seized by the rebels during the war, killed more than 400,000 people.

Western countries condemn Assad for what they call indiscriminate attacks on civilians, and Turkey is helping insurgents who attempt to remove him from office.

The leaders gathered in Istanbul hope, however, that a ceasefire in Idlib province, located in north-west Syria, will give impetus to peace efforts. The truce last month prevented a Syrian government offensive on the last rebel stronghold, which many feared triggered another refugee crisis.

Since then, Idlib has been relatively calm, although both parties have accused each other of violating the agreement. Syrian government forces on Friday bombed rebel-held villages in Idlib, killing seven people, in violation of an agreement reached between Russia and Turkey, opposition activists said.

"The eyes of the world have turned to this meeting. I think these expectations will not be disappointed, "said Erdogan at the start of negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron.

Earlier, the four leaders wandered through the gardens of Vahdettin Manor, where the discussions took place. The renovated structure of the Ottoman era offers breathtaking views of Istanbul's Bosphorus Strait.

Since 2015, the European Union is struggling to cope with the influx of refugees, including many from Iraq and Syria, and European countries hope that war-torn areas will be able to stabilize and allow the return of the populations. Germany has pledged millions of euros to help restore basic services in areas not controlled by the Assad regime.

The goal is "to avoid a new humanitarian disaster," tweeted Macron after arriving in Turkey.

Staffan de Mistura, UN envoy for Syria, was also invited to the Istanbul meeting. He urged Russia and world leaders to try to overcome Assad's opposition to forming a committee to draft a new constitution widely seen as essential to ending the war.

Other topics on the agenda include access to humanitarian aid and possible reconstruction of Syria, which has been in conflict for more than seven years. The ultimate hope is to find a political solution allowing millions of Syrian refugees to return home and be safe.

The summit comes as Turkey threatens to launch a new military operation in northern Syria, in areas controlled by Syrian Kurdish fighters. Turkey considers that the Syrian Kurdish militia, backed by the United States, is a terrorist and is part of the Kurdish insurgency in Turkey.

On Friday, Erdogan said Turkey would not allow "terrorist groups located east of the Euphrates" to threaten the security of Turkey.

Turkey has launched two incursions into Syria, in 2016 and 2018, in areas located to the west of the Euphrates, pushing Islamic State militants as well as Syrian Kurdish fighters out of its territory. border.