Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu
Turkey is working to achieve a ceasefire in Syria's opposition-held northwest and is ready for cooperation to fight terrorist groups in the Idlib area, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said on Friday.
Speaking at a joint news conference with his Pakistani counterpart, Çavuşoğlu said Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan will speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the topic of Syria on Monday.
"Turkey is open to cooperation with everyone regarding efforts to fight terror groups in Syria," said Çavuşoğlu at a joint news conference in Islamabad with Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi.
The locals of Syria's Idlib have started to flee as fears of a looming offensive by the Assad regime and his allies grip the province.
Idlib locals flee to Turkish-controlled areas for safety
Recalling Turkey's efforts to find a political solution to the ongoing Syrian crisis, he said the efforts to reach a cease-fire in Idlib continue.
"We will continue our efforts with Iran and Russia... We will continue our efforts in international platforms as well. We have received tremendous support from many countries as well as United Nations and other organizations. Therefore, we should continue our efforts to bring peace and stability to the region," he added.
Çavuşoğlu arrived in Islamabad on Thursday on an official visit upon the invitation of the Pakistani foreign minister.
He was received by Pakistani President Arif Alvi, and Prime Minister Imran Khan.
UN chief Antonio Guterres said in comments published Thursday that U.S. power is in decline as Washington loses its ability to impact world events.“I think that the soft power of the United States … is being reduced at the present moment,” Guterres said during an interview with the Atlantic magazine.Guterres warned the development poses unique challenges for the international community, because without Washington there "is no way to solve most of the problems in the world."“The United States is today involved in a number of conflicts of different natures—in relation to trade, in relation to other situations—and indeed that means that the … attraction of American society that was a dominant factor in international relations just a few decades ago is today less clear,” Guterres said.Guterres did not refer to the Trump administration by name, but his comments reflect an increasing number of trade spats the U.S. under President Donald Trump has become embroiled in, as well the U.S.'s withdrawal from major international accords and UN bodies.Guterres suggested the world today is "in pieces," moving away from a U.S.-led order to a multi-polar system that has yet to fully settle.“It’s inevitable that mono-state leadership of the international order will be more and more put into question,” he said.“Both the United States and the rest of the world need to be able to adapt to this new situation,” added Guterres.US Army mobilizes against lead hazards at bases around globeUS appoints ‘PKK commander’ to spearhead attacks against Syrian opposition in IdlibPompeo approves ongoing military aid to Saudi coalition'Moscow ready to make steps to improve Russia-US ties'
UN chief says US power in decline, world 'in pieces'
The Turkish minister praised "strong" bilateral relations between Turkey and Pakistan, expressing willingness to further enhance cooperation in all areas.
"We will devote more efforts to further enhance our solidarity, brotherhood, relations, and cooperation with Pakistan," he said.
Trade
The two countries agreed to convene the 6th high level joint working group meeting soon in Islamabad and restart negotiations on a free trade agreement (FTA) between the two countries.
Qureshi said the two sides have decided to enhance bilateral and economic relations.
"Our relations are very strong which are based on a strong historic, cultural and regional background and now we would strengthen these relations further," Qureshi said.
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu meets his Pakistani counterpart Shah Mehmood Qureshi in Islamabad on September 14, 2018.
Turkish, Pakistani Foreign Minister meet in Islamabad
"The current trade volume is not satisfactory and we have decided to remove all hurdles in way of enhancing the trade between both countries," Qureshi said.
He thanked Turkey for supporting his country on different international forums especially at the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) meeting in February this year in Paris, where the U.S. and the U.K. moved to put Pakistan back on a list of countries which have failed to stem terror financing.
"Today I have an opportunity to say: 'thank you very much,' to my Turkish counterpart who helped and support us in the FATF meeting," Qureshi said.
During the delegation level meeting, Qureshi also briefed Çavuşoğlu about his upcoming visit to Afghanistan.
"I have briefed the Turkish foreign minister regarding my expected visit to Kabul and we agreed to play our role to bring peace in Afghanistan," he said.
Turkey’s Foreign Minister said early Friday that Washington should reconsider its alliances in Syria as the Assad regime prepares to launch a bloody offensive on northwestern Idlib province.In a letter to The New York Times titled 'A Looming Disaster in Syria', Mevlut Cavuşoğlu warned that the YPG terrorist group has struck an alliance with Bashar al-Assad and is sending troops to help him recapture Idlib from the rebels.“The alliance has grown deeper since senior leaders of the so-called Syrian Democratic Forces, spearheaded by the YPG, held formal talks with the Syrian regime to carve out a place for themselves in the new Syria,” he said."Having YPG forces operating from Syria, just miles from the border of Turkey, is untenable. It’s time for Washington to assess who its real allies in the region are."Located near the Turkish border, Idlib province is home to more than 3 million Syrians, many of whom fled from other cities following attacks by regime forces.The Syrian regime recently announced plans to launch a major military offensive in Idlib, which has long been controlled by various armed opposition groups.As a result, Turkey has been reinforcing its military presence on the border with Syria.The UN has warned that such an offensive would lead to the "worst humanitarian catastrophe in the 21st century".Cavusoglu also emphasized in the letter that the YPG is the Syrian affiliate of the PKK, which has led a violent terror campaign in Turkey for more than 30 years and that Turkey, the U.S. and the EU have listed the PKK as a terrorist organization.In its more than 30-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK has been responsible for the deaths of some 40,000 people.US appoints ‘PKK commander’ to spearhead attacks against Syrian opposition in IdlibGerman, Russian foreign ministers to discuss SyriaTurkish FM meets Chinese envoy, Iraqi Turkmen leaderTurkey's UN envoy demands immediate cease-fire in IdlibLet’s stop the civil war in Syria’s Idlib: Turkish FM
US should reconsider its alliances in Syria: Turkish FM