Turkey intends to continue close cooperation with Russia and Iran in Syria, Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Saturday after negotiations in Moscow, Trend reported citing TASS.
"Ankara and Moscow share the opinion that it is necessary to destroy all terrorist organizations in Syria. We will continue close cooperation with Russia and Iran on Syria and regional issues," Anadolu Agency quoted the foreign minister as saying.
Ankara remains committed to Syria’s territorial integrity and is ready to counter attempts to undermine it, he said.
"As the guarantors of the Astana process, we are certainly committed to the territorial integrity and unity of Syria and are ready to deter any actions aimed at undermining these principles," the Turkish foreign minister said.
Cavusoglu added that Turkey and Russia had also discussed issues related to the fight against terrorism. "We confirmed our readiness and determination to continue the fight in order to liberate Syria from this scourge," he said. "Today, the defense and foreign ministers discussed the steps our countries have taken within the Astana process, as well as further steps in this direction," the Turkish top diplomat noted.
According to Cavusoglu, the meeting’s participants also touched upon the implementation of the Memorandum on setting up a demilitarized zone in Syria’s Idlib. "We considered the actions we will take to implement the memorandum and resolve issues that may emerge along the way," he said. "We believe that the document has made it possible to ensure stability, thus significantly contributing to efforts to advance the political process," he added.
The Turkish top diplomat also pointed out that the four ministers had exchanged views on the situation "surrounding the United States’ plans to withdraw troops from Syria." "We discussed ways to coordinate our joint efforts given the circumstances," Cavusoglu noted.
