Syrian, Turkish, Russian defense ministers hold talks, first time since 2011

The defense ministers of Syria, Turkey and Russia held surprise talks in Moscow on Wednesday to discuss the crisis in the Arab country, the first high-level contact between the three sides since 2011.

In a statement on Wednesday, the Turkish Defense Ministry said Minister Hulusi Akar, his Russian counterpart Sergei Shoigu and Syrian counterpart Ali Mahmud Abbas got together for previously-unannounced talks in Moscow.

Intelligence chiefs of the trio also attended the surprise meeting, during which “the Syrian crisis, the refugee problem and efforts for a joint struggle against terror organizations present on Syrian territory” were discussed, it said. The meeting took place in a “positive atmosphere.”

According to the Turkish ministry, they would continue to hold such tripartite meetings and discussions to ensure and maintain stability in Syria and the region.

Russia, Syria's close ally, has long been pressing for reconciliation between rivals Damascus and Ankara, which have been standing on opposite sides in the years-long crisis.

Turkey supported militants trying to oust Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, while Damascus repeatedly condemned Ankara's hold over stretches of territory in northern Syria, which were seized in Turkish military incursions since 2016 in a declared attempt to drive US-backed Kurdish militant groups away from the frontier.

Russia’s Defense Ministry, in a brief statement, confirmed that "ways of resolving the Syrian crisis and the problem of refugees as well as joint efforts to combat extremist groups in Syria have been discussed" by the ministers.

The trio said "the constructive nature of the dialog ... and the need to continue it in the interests of further stabilizing the situation" in Syria and the region as a whole, the statement read.

The meeting was held days after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said presidents of Turkey, Syria and Russia could meet for talks after a meeting of intelligence, defense, and foreign officials.

"Currently, we want to take a step with Syria and Russia, as a trio. For this, first, our intelligence organizations should come together, then our defense ministers and, then our foreign ministers should meet," Erdogan said on December 15.

Syria condemns Turkish military aggression, stresses right to respond

Syria strongly condemns the Turkish military’s ongoing operations in the country, and says it reserves the right to respond to Ankara’s aggression.

The talks in the Russian capital followed repeated warnings by Ankara of a fresh land incursion into Syria after a deadly bombing in Istanbul on November 13. Turkish authorities blamed the attack on the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), and on the Syria-based People’s Protection Units (YPG).

Both groups denied involvement. The Turkish government views the US-backed YPG as the Syrian branch of the homegrown and outlawed PKK, which has been seeking an autonomous Kurdish region in Turkey since 1984 and remains designated as a terrorist group by the US, the European Union and Turkey.

Turkey cut off its relations with Syria in March 2012, a year after the Arab country found itself in the grip of rampant deadly violence waged by foreign-backed militants and terrorists, including those allegedly supported by Ankara.

Since 2016, Turkey has also conducted three major ground operations against US-backed militants based in northern Syria.

Turkey has been launching airstrikes on northern Syria and Iraq since November 20, against what it calls hideouts belonging to the PKK.

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