On Tuesday, the defense ministers of Turkey, Syria, and Iran met with their Russian counterpart as part of the Kremlin's initiative to facilitate a reconciliation between the Turkish and Syrian governments, with discussions centering on implementing measures to enhance security in Syria and promote normalcy in Syrian-Turkish relations.

Since September 2015, Russia has been involved in a military campaign in Syria alongside Iran, helping President Bashar Assad's government regain control over most of the country, while Turkey has backed the opposition; Russia has maintained its military presence in Syria and has made efforts to facilitate a reconciliation between Turkey and Syria, including hosting a meeting between the two countries' defense ministers in December 2020 and senior diplomats from Russia, Turkey, Syria, and Iran earlier this month, with the efforts coming as Turkey's President Erdogan faces pressure to send Syrian refugees back amid an economic downturn and increasing anti-refugee sentiment ahead of elections in May, while the latest talks in Moscow focused on steps to strengthen security in Syria and normalize Syrian-Turkish relations, with emphasis on the need for a speedy return of Syrian refugees, as well as the withdrawal of Turkish troops from Syria and the reopening of the M4 highway.

By Kobin Ferhad