The presidents of Turkey, Russia and Iran pledged today during a summit in Ankara to work together to establish a "stable ceasefire" in Syria, according to a joint statement issued after the talks.
"Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Vladimir Putin and Hassan Rohani" reaffirmed their determination to work actively in Syria to implement a lasting ceasefire between the warring parties, "the statement said.
In addition, they underlined their desire to "accelerate efforts to ensure calm in the field and protect civilians in de-escalation zones, as well as to facilitate the rapid access of humanitarian aid to these zones".
For his part, the Turkish president said during a joint news conference with the three leaders that Syria's territorial integrity depends on distancing itself from all terrorist organizations, a reference to Washington's support for Kurdish militias. of Syria that Ankara considers "terrorists".
Iranian President Hassan Rohani has accused Washington of backing so-called Islamic State jihadists in Syria and called on all countries to respect Damascus' independence, according to Iran's state television.
"Some countries, including the United States, support terrorist organizations such as the Islamic State in Syria, which serves the interests of these countries; Iran believes that the crisis in Syria can not be resolved by military means and the protection of Syrian independence is a priority for Tehran. "
Regarding Afrin, Hassan Rohani told his Turkish and Russian counterparts that the area, which has been occupied by Turkish forces and other Syrian allies, should be handed over to the Syrian army, according to Iranian television.
"Developments in Afrin can serve something as long as they do not violate Syria's territorial integrity and control of these areas should be handed over to the Syrian army," he said.