The “Tehran Summit”… A Turkish Bet on Facilitating the “Syrian Operation”

Next Tuesday, Tehran will host a summit of Russian President Vladimir Putin with his Turkish counterparts Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Iranian Ibrahim Raisi, which is largely devoted to the Syrian crisis, in light of Turkish threats to launch a military operation to establish a safe zone in northern Syria. Turkey, it seems, is betting on the tripartite meeting to overcome the obstacles facing its Syrian operation.

Turkish diplomatic sources expected that the potential operation against the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) would take priority during the Tehran summit talks, and told Asharq Al-Awsat that Erdogan will work to change the Russian position rejecting the military operation aimed at establishing a safe zone 30 kilometers deep inside the territory. Syrian.

In Moscow, a Russian diplomat told Asharq Al-Awsat that Putin’s move comes “within a pre-prepared schedule, and based on tireless diplomatic work between officials in Moscow, Tehran and Ankara.”

In addition, the main Western countries in the Security Council acquiesced, yesterday, to Russia’s demand that it be satisfied with extending only 6 months, for the mechanism for passing humanitarian aid to Syria across the border with Turkey. The Council voted on the extension with 12 votes in favor, with the United States, Britain and France abstaining.