Iran Offers Good Offices to Settle Syria-Turkey Row over Idlib
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said Syria and Turkey can resolve the issues related to the flashpoint city of Idlib through the good offices of the Islamic Republic.
Speaking to Tasnim on the sidelines of a weekly cabinet session in Tehran on Wednesday, Zarif expressed Iran’s readiness to help tackle the crisis in Syria’s northwestern city of Idlib, where direct clashes between Syrian and Turkish troops have escalated in recent weeks.
“We are prepared to hold talks with our Syrian and Turkish brothers about Idlib at various levels,” Zarif said.
The top Iranian diplomat also emphasized that the previous agreements about Idlib and the fight against terrorism must be implemented, adding, “The Syrian government must be able to ensure the security of its citizens.”
“If they need to use our good offices, this problem (in Idlib) will be resolved with less harms,” Zarif stated.
He also unveiled plans for a new meeting of the Astana peace process among Iran, Turkey and Russia in the near future.
In recent weeks, the battle for Idlib in northwest Syria has entered a new phase. The Syrian forces have pushed to capture the strategic M4 and M5 highways, which link respectively the city of Latakia and the capital, Damascus, to Aleppo.
Ankara has threatened to attack the Syrian military unless government forces abandoned the liberated areas.
Over the past four years, the Turkish military has staged at least two unauthorized incursions into northern Syria to push back against Kurdish militants, whom Ankara says seek to overthrow the Turkish government.
