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From left to right, Russian President Vladimir Putin, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and French President Emmanuel Macron pose at the end of a press conference organized at the from the summit on Syria, Istanbul, Saturday, October 27, 2018. The leaders Turkey, Russia, France and Germany were meeting Saturday in Istanbul for a summit on Syria, in the hope to lay the foundation for a possible peace in a country devastated by years of war. (Lefteris Pitarakis / Associated Press)
ISTANBUL (AP) – Turkish, Russian, French and German leaders said Saturday at a summit that Syrians should take the lead in efforts to bring peace to their war-torn country, a challenge highlighted by the absence of any Syrian group at the talks in Istanbul.
Reunited in a private mansion of the Ottoman era, the leaders dismissed Syrian President Bashar Assad to agree on general objectives, including the possible voluntary return of millions of refugees who fled a conflict that lasts for more than seven years and who have killed more than 400,000 people. .
"There will be no real, lasting and credible return of refugees if the political process is not initiated," said French President Emmanuel Macron.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel highlighted the "preconditions" for the return of refugees, which must be closely coordinated with the US Agency for Refugees.
"From our point of view, it is necessary to guarantee that there will be no persecution or arrest, that certain basic humanitarian conditions will be met – that some humanitarian infrastructure exists "she said.
The leaders spoke at a joint press conference with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
A final statement issued by the leaders called for "an inclusive political process, led by and controlled by the Syrians" and the convening of a committee by the end of the year to work on the constitutional reform as a prelude to free and sustained initiatives supported by the UN. just elections.
The leaders noted the ceasefire in northwestern Idlib province, which they hope could 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.
Putin, however, warned against any "armed provocation" by "radical elements" in Idlib that would oppose the Syrian government, saying that Russia would step in to support the Assad government if necessary. Russian military support, as well as Iranian support, has allowed Assad to recover much of the territory lost by the rebels in recent years.
Western countries condemn Assad for what they call indiscriminate attacks on civilians, and Turkey is helping insurgents who attempt to remove him from office.
"Assad is a person who has tried to undermine the lives of nearly a million citizens. He's not in a respected position for us, "Erdogan said.
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 government.
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.
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