Syrian Analyst Says Suspicious about Turkey’s Sincerity in Astana Talks

“While the Iranian and Russian foreign ministers stress their clear positions on fight against terrorism, (Turkish President Recep Tayyip) there is no faith in Erdogan’s sincerity as his country is likely to be after deceptive acts,” Hayyan Salman told FNA on Monday.

Noting that Turkey’s U-turn in its positions on Syria resulted from the change of power equations in the Syrian battlefield, he said, “Despite the existing contradictions, the most important of which Turkey’s deceptive position, the Astana meeting is considered as a step on the right path.”

“The Turkish government’s continued dispatch of terrorists, suicide bombers and tanks to Idlib and other regions in Syria show that Erdogan is not serious about stopping support for terrorism and is actually attempting to misuse it,” Salman said.

In relevant remarks on Saturday, a Syrian dissident leader expressed the hope that the upcoming Astana meeting would resolve the crisis in Syria, and said no option has remained for Ankara but cooperation with Tehran and Moscow.

“The field developments in Syria, the armed groups’ defeats from the Syrian government and the backfiring of Turkey’s support for terrorism changed the world’s public opinion towards Turkey, and Ankara has no way out but partnership with Iran and Russia and that’s why Turkey has made a U-turn in supporting the armed groups in Syria. Now Ankara wants to find a political settlement to the crisis in Syria so that it will not lose its share in Syria and find some allies against those who support the establishment of autonomous Kurdish region in Syria,” Maher Marhaj told FNA.

He also expressed the hope that the upcoming Astana meeting would help progress of plans to resolve the crisis in Syria politically to the benefit of all Syrian sides.

The peace talks between the Syrian government and a delegation of armed groups which have accepted the ceasefire will start at 13:00 (local time) in Kazakhstan’s capital on Monday in the presence of the Iranian, Russian, Turkish and Syrian delegations to Astana.

Media reports said that the opposition groups are headed by Mohammad Aloush, a rebel chief backed by Riyadh.

Certain sources have said that over 40 opposition forces will participate in the Astana talks.

Bashar al-Jafari, Syria’s permanent envoy to the UN, will lead the country’s delegation.

Staffan de Mistura, UN special envoy for Syria, has also been sent to Kazakhstan along with his deputies while the EU has said that it will participate at ambassadorial level.

The US has announced that it will send its Envoy to Astana George A. Krol to the meeting between the Syrian government and the opposition.

Iranian, Turkish and Russian deputy foreign ministers are representing their countries in the meeting in Astana as well.