Turkish top officials meet Russian defense minister
Turkey's National Defense Minister Hulusi Akar and Hakan Fidan, chief of the National Intelligence Organization (MIT), met with Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoygu in Moscow on Friday.
The top officials discussed regional security, recent developments in Syria, and bilateral cooperation between Ankara and Moscow, said a Turkish official who asked not to be named due to restrictions on speaking to the media.
According to a statement by Russia’s Defense Ministry, "The heads of the military services continued a substantive dialogue on the situation in Syria, which began a week ago at a bilateral meeting in Moscow, during which the Russian side handed over to Turkish colleagues proposals on resolving the situation in the northwest of Syria.''
The meeting was expected to address the issue of Idlib in northwestern Syria, a subject also addressed today in a meeting in Moscow between Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu and his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov.
Last week Fidan and Akar also visited Moscow where they met with Russian officials along with Shoygu, in a meeting focusing on humanitarian aid to Syria and the return of refugees from abroad.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is also expected to receive the Turkish officials later in the day.
Germany’s foreign minister is scheduled to visit Turkey next month to discuss bilateral ties and regional issues, diplomatic sources said on Friday.During his two-day visit on Sept. 5-6, Heiko Maas will meet his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu and other senior officials in the capital Ankara.Later the two top diplomats will travel to Istanbul for a celebration at the city’s German School marking its 150th anniversary.Maas’ trip to Turkey comes ahead of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s key visit to Germany on Sept. 28-29.Over the past two years political relations between Ankara and Berlin have suffered setbacks, but in recent months both sides have taken steps towards improving ties.EU heavyweight Germany remains Turkey’s main economic and trade partner, despite political disagreements between the governments on a number of issues.Germany's Merkel has made no decision on next ECB chiefAfter Trump attack on Russia ties, Merkel eyes Azeri gas
German foreign minister to visit Turkey next month
Turkey and Russia need to continue working together to pursue the cease-fire in Syria, Turkey’s Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said on Friday, warning that a possible military solution in the northwestern city of Idlib would be a "disaster."Speaking to reporters in Moscow after meeting with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov, Çavuşoğlu said: “Preserving the de-escalation zone in Idlib, Syria is important in both humanitarian respects and the fight against terrorism."Stressing that more than 3 million civilians live in Idlib, he said: “A military solution there would be a disaster. It would be a disaster not only for the Idlib region but also for the future of Syria."“Separating the civilians from the combatants in Idlib is important for everyone, but a solution through force would lead to a new wave of refugees and a humanitarian catastrophe," he warned."A solution by force in Idlib would undermine the trust between Russia and Turkey as well as the trust of the cease-fire participants.""It is necessary to work in the Astana format on the [existing] cease-fire, it is necessary to work on promoting the political process,” he said, referring to the process that began in Astana, Kazakhstan.Representatives of the guarantor countries for the Syria cease-fire -- Turkey, Russia, and Iran -- will meet with Staffan de Mistura, the UN’s special Syria envoy, on this point in the near future, added Çavuşoğlu. The issue will also be discussed by the three countries' presidents in Tehran in September, he said.Çavuşoğlu also said the political process in Syria should be started as soon as possible.Stating that a list of member candidates for a constitutional committee was summited, Çavuşoğlu said: “Establishing a constitutional committee immediately is important for Syria’s future. We back this process.”The situation in Idlib is also set to top a meeting between the Russian and Turkish foreign and defense ministers and intelligence chiefs.Located near the Turkish border, this May Idlib was designated a “de-escalation zone” where acts of aggression are expressly forbidden.Syria has only just begun to emerge from a devastating conflict that began in early 2011, when the Assad regime cracked down on protesters with unexpected ferocity.UN officials estimate that hundreds of thousands of people have been killed in the conflict.Turkish operation in Syria foiled PKK/YPG terror plotsDisplaced Syrians in Idlib mark Eid despite hardshipsVisa-free regimeRussia and Turkey have agreed to establish a mechanism to restore a visa-free regime between the two countries, Russia’s Lavrov also announced.Russia is ready to lift visa restrictions for the Turkish holders of special and service passports as well as for drivers engaged in cargo transportation between the two countries, Lavrov told reporters after meeting with Çavuşoğlu."We have confirmed Russia's readiness to hold talks on simplifying the travel regime for certain categories of Turkish citizens on a reciprocal basis, and we will do this in the near future,” said Lavrov.“We agreed to establish a mechanism for consultations on the development of agreements on this subject."Russia says all options on table for response to US sanctions'Strategic partner'Calling Russia a “strategic partner,” Çavuşoğlu stressed the importance of further developing bilateral ties with Russia. “We will both improve bilateral relations between the two countries for [providing] stability and economic development in the region and we will boost our cooperation on regional matters,” he said. Without naming any country, he said that some countries and individuals were jealous of Turkey and Russia’s close cooperation and friendship. Çavuoğlu also expressed pleasure at the growing number of Russian tourists visiting Turkey. “We will be very happy to welcome some 6 million our Russian friends to our country this year,” he said. 2019 will be declared the Year of Culture and Tourism between the two countries, Çavuşoğlu said, expressing hope that this will serve to attract even more Russian tourists. 
Military solution in Syria’s Idlib would be ‘disaster’: Turkish FM