President Vladimir Putin urged his Iranian and Turkish counterparts to work together to bring an end to the Syria conflict. During a trilateral summit that was held in the backdrop of the U.S.-led Warsaw conference; President Putin emphasized the importance of working together, saying: “We have done plenty together, dear friends, we have treaded a long way. We all know that the work has not been easy, and it continues now. Not all the tasks have been solved, but if we continue to work as actively with such coordination and will continue to look for compromises, then success undoubtedly awaits us.”
Prior to holding a trilateral meeting, Turkish President Erdogan held a bilateral meeting with President Putin, during which he urged Moscow to join forces with Washington – hinting to Turkey’s discontent with the latest developments. Erdogan said “As you know, the U.S. decision to withdraw (from Syria) is one of the biggest tests ahead of us. Uncertainty continues over how this decision will be put in practice. It is of utmost importance that we work together in the face of this new development.”
In addition to cooperating on establishing a safe zone in northern Syria, where U.S. backed forces are currently operating; President Putin emphasized the importance of eliminating all terror groups that control the north-western Idlib region. Moscow has complained that the Islamist militants who used to belong to the al-Qaeda-linked Nusra Front militia are now in control of much of Idlib and demands military action to make-certain that these groups are completely eradicated.