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Meeting on Syria in Moscow stressed importance of four-party platform — Turkish military

It is noted that the sides reaffirmed respect for Syria's territorial integrity

ANKARA, April 25. /TASS/. The defense ministers and intelligence chiefs of Turkey, Russia, Syria and Iran stressed the importance of the quadrilateral platform for ensuring stability in Syria and the region in general, the Turkish Defense Ministry said after Tuesday's talks in Moscow, noting that they were constructive.

"At the end of the meeting, which was held in a constructive atmosphere, the importance of stability in Syria and the region and the importance of more meetings on the four-nation platform to ensuring it was stressed," the statement reads.

The meeting in Moscow discussed ways of strengthening security in Syria, concrete steps to normalize relations between Turkey and Syria, counter terrorist organizations and extremist groups on Syrian territory, and step up efforts to facilitate the repatriation of Syrian refugees.

"The sides reaffirmed respect for Syria's territorial integrity," the Turkish Defense Ministry said.

Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar and Turkish National Intelligence Organization head Hakan Fidan took part in the talks in Moscow on Ankara’s behalf.

Normalization of relations between Ankara and Damascus started in Moscow on December 28, 2022, when the defense ministers of Russia, Syria and Turkey met for consultations. At the meeting, an agreement was reached to establish a joint trilateral commission. These consultations are to be followed by a meeting at the level of foreign ministers, with talks between Turkish and Syrian presidents Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Bashar al-Assad on the agenda. It was later reported that Iran would participate in the consultations at the foreign minister level. The four-nation foreign minister level meeting is expected to be held in Moscow in early May.

Erdogan told the media on December 15 last year that he had addressed his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin with a proposal for holding a trilateral meeting with the Syrian leader. This summit, he said, should be preceded by talks at the level of special services and defense and foreign ministers.

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