Erdogan in Tehran for summit with Iranian, Russian presidents
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has arrived in Tehran for talks with his Iranian and Russian counterparts on the Syria peace process.
Iran, Russia and Turkey are the three guarantors of the so-called “Astana peace process” to end more than 11 years of conflict in the Arab country.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is yet to arrive in the Iranian capital for his second foreign visit since the start of the Ukraine conflict in February.
Erdogan has threatened to launch a new offensive in northern Syria and Tuesday's summit is expected to try to talk him out of the plan, with Iran and Russia seeking to prevent another incursion by Turkey.
Iran has already warned that any Turkish military action in Syria could destabilize the region.
Turkey has launched waves of attacks on Syria since 2016, targeting Kurdish militias and Syrian army forces.
Ankara says a strong presence of the US-backed Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) which it regards as terrorists would embolden the banned Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).
Turkey's decades-long war with the PKK has claimed tens of thousands of lives.
Syria’s government has repeatedly condemned Turkish incursions into its territories. Russia has asked Turkey to “refrain” from launching an attack on Syria. Iran has urged caution.
Late last month, Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian visited Ankara where he said while Tehran understood Turkey’s security concerns, a military action in Syria “would be a destabilizing element in the region."
Mazloum Abdi, chief commander of the YPG-linked Syrian Democratic Forces, has urged Russia and Iran to restrain Turkey, reports said.
“We hope the attacks will not take place and that the Kurds will not be forsaken during the talks between the big powers,” he was quoted as saying.
For Erdogan, the Tehran summit will provide a chance to push forth Turkey's efforts to mediate between Russia and Ukraine for a ceasefire. It will be Erdogan's first meeting with Putin since Russia launched its operation in Ukraine.
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