Look who met 3 weeks ago to discuss and make plans for Syria – Putin, Erdogan, and Rouhani
For the poorly informed they are the leaders of Russia, Turkey and Iran.
Ironically, we have to turn to the Kremlin’s English-language website for information on the Trilateral summit on settlement in Syria held in Ankara, Turkey on September 16, 2019.
http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/transcripts/61540
At the link, there are additional links onward to press statements and a 14-point Syria plan agreed by Putin, Erdogan, and Rouhani at the meeting.
The Kurds weren’t invited to the summit and they weren’t mentioned directly but it’s clear that the three leaders agreed to deal with them in some unspecified way to guarantee Syria’s territorial integrity and national sovereignty.
From the 14-point statement released jointly by Putin, Erdogan, and Rouhani:
2. Emphasized their strong commitment to the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of the Syrian Arab Republic . . .
4. Discussed the situation in the northeast of Syria, emphasized that security and stability in this region can only be achieved on the basis of respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country and agreed to coordinate their efforts to this end.
5. Rejected in this regard all attempts to create new realities on the ground under the pretext of combating terrorism, including illegitimate self-rule initiatives, and expressed their determination to stand against separatist agendas aimed at undermining the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria as well as threatening the national security of neighboring countries.
The full statement can be found at the link here:
http://en.kremlin.ru/supplement/5439
In his speech at the summit, Putin also said:
Naturally, the situation in the northeast of Syria is a source of concern. Problems of security in this area and other parts of Syria should be resolved based exclusively on preserving its sovereignty and territorial integrity. We consider it unacceptable to divide Syria into spheres of influence.
http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/transcripts/61541
In Q&A with reporters at the summit, Putin was even asked about the US presence in Syria. Here’s what he said:
Question: With due consideration for the US presence in Syria, I would also like to ask how you assess the US presence on Syrian territory?
Vladimir Putin: Regarding the presence of the US Armed Forces, it is common knowledge that their presence on Syrian territory is illegal. And we hope that the decision to withdraw US service personnel from Syria, made by President of the United States Donald Trump will be implemented completely.
http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/transcripts/61542
What was Trump doing during the Trilateral Summit? He was bellowing about the drone/missile strikes on Saudi Arabia’s oil processing facility and blaming Iran for it which is all but forgotten now.
None of it makes much sense until you realize that Putin is calling the shots. Everywhere.