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Withdrawal of Turkish troops from Syria discussed at four-party meeting in Moscow

The sides also discussed implementing the special agreement related to movements along the M4 international highway

BEIRUT, April 25. /TASS/. The situation in Syria’s northern regions was among the topics discussed by Russian, Iranian, Syrian, and Turkish defense ministers and intelligence chiefs at a four-party meeting in Moscow, the SANA news agency reported on Tuesday, citing Syria’s defense ministry.

"Participants in the talks discussed the issue of withdrawing Turkish troops from Syrian territory," it said. "They also discussed implementing the special agreement related to movements along the M4 international highway."

Earlier, Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad called on Ankara to put an end to its military presence in Syria. "It is impossible to talk about normalizing relations with Turkey amid its occupation of Syria’s northern areas," he stressed.

The Russian defense ministry said earlier on Tuesday that four-party talks between the Russian, Iranian, Syrian, and Turkish defense ministers were held in Moscow to discuss practical steps in the areas of strengthening security in Syria and normalizing Syrian-Turkish relations. Special attention was focused on efforts to "counter terrorist threats and combat extremist groups in Syria.".