Turkish Presidential Spokesman Ibrahim Kalın
The four-way Syria summit to be held in Istanbul on Saturday is set to focus on finding new ways to reach a political solution in Syria, Turkey's presidential aide said on Friday.
Speaking at an international congress in southeastern Diyarbakir province, Ibrahim Kalın said: “Our priority at this summit will be focusing on what kind of new ways could be found based on not military, but a political solution in Syria.”
The meeting to be hosted by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan will see the participation of Russian President Vladimir Putin, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, and French President Emmanuel Macron.
Erdoğan will address preserving the Idlib deal and preventing violations by the Bashar al-Assad regime in particular at the summit, Kalın said.
The Assad regime and allied terrorist groups have continued shelling the Idlib de-escalation zone, killing one civilian and injuring three others on Thursday, the White Helmets civil-defense agency said.The regime and Iran-backed terrorist groups have recently fired more than 100 artillery barrages into the Kafr Hamrah and Rashedeen regions, both of which are located within the de-escalation zone, the parameters of which were laid down in a Sept. 17 agreement between Turkey and Russia.The National Liberation Front, an umbrella group of opposition movements based in the region, has attempted to counter the attacks by striking regime forces deployed in central Aleppo.Amir al-Haj, director of the White Helmets’ Aleppo chapter, told Anadolu Agency that at least one civilian had been killed -- and three more injured -- in overnight raids by the regime and its allies.Turkish envoy hails Canada for hosting Syrian refugeesDespite the Sept. 17 agreement (signed in the Russian resort city of Sochi), regime forces have also continued to target rural areas of Latakia province, southern Idlib, western Aleppo and northern and western Hama.In line with the Sochi deal, opposition groups withdrew their heavy weaponry from specified regions of Idlib earlier this month.The regime appears to have stepped up its attacks ahead of an upcoming quadrilateral Syria summit to be held in Istanbul this Saturday.US-led coalition strikes mosque, kills 7 in east SyriaIt is expected that the German, French and Russian heads of state will attend the high-profile event.Syria has only just begun to emerge from a devastating conflict that began in 2011 when the Assad regime cracked down on demonstrators with unexpected ferocity.Since then, tens of thousands of people have been killed in the conflict while millions more have been forced to flee their homes.Video: Young girl pulled from rubble in SyriaKremlin alarmed by report that US led drone attack on Russian base in Syria
Syria regime violating Turkey-Russia Idlib deal: White Helmets
Turkey expects the summit in Istanbul to help form a constitutional committee, the presidential aide added.
Ankara and Moscow agreed in September to establish a demilitarized zone in Syria's northwestern province of Idlib.
Under the deal, opposition groups in Idlib are to remain in areas where they are already present, while Russia and Turkey carry out joint patrols in the area with a view to preventing a resumption of fighting.
On Oct. 10, the Turkish Defense Ministry announced that the Syrian opposition and other anti-regime groups had completed the withdrawal of heavy weapons from the Idlib demilitarized zone.
Syria has only just begun to emerge from a devastating conflict that began in 2011 when the Assad regime cracked down on demonstrators with unexpected ferocity.
Turkey’s ambassador to Ottawa praised Canada’s role in hosting Syrian refugees while saying many other countries have failed to respond to take similar steps. In his article he wrote for the Canadian newspaper The Hill Times, Selcuk Unal said Turkey’s open-door policy would continue for refugees fleeing their homes for various reasons including violence.Unal emphasized that the Turkish people had welcomed migrants, refugees and asylum seekers with "tolerance and hospitality" throughout history, including Crimean Tatars, Poles, Swedes, Hungarians, Russians, Jews escaping from Inquisition or Nazi Germany, Afghans, Bosnians, Kosovars, Macedonians, Iraqis and Syrians.“Those people belonged to many different ethnic and religious backgrounds; yet one thing they all shared was the trust they had for Turkey: a safe harbor,” he added.US-led coalition strikes mosque, kills 7 in east SyriaHaving accepted more than 50,000 refugees from Syria while other countries were “sitting on the fences”, Unal said Canada is one of the few countries who should be thanked in this regard.“In that respect, like Canada, Turkey has become home to many peoples from different cultures living in harmony,” he said.Underlining Turkey’s role as the largest refugee-hosting country in the world with nearly 4 million refugees from Syria and Iraq, Unal said Turkey was “shouldering more than its fair share” of responsibilities with almost $32 billion of expenditures so far.Kremlin alarmed by report that US led drone attack on Russian base in Syria“The two NATO Allies could have more avenues not only to meet needs, but to effectively reduce risks and vulnerabilities over time as well as to work on the humanitarian crises the humanity will be facing,” he added.Turkey hosts 3.5 million Syrian refugees, more than any other country in the world. The country has spent more than $32 billion from its own national resources for helping and sheltering refugees since the beginning of the Syrian civil war.Syria has only just begun to emerge from a devastating conflict that began in 2011 when the Assad regime cracked down on demonstrators with unexpected ferocity.Japanese hostage returns home after three years in Syrian 'hell'
Turkish envoy hails Canada for hosting Syrian refugees