The information obtained by the Tehran Times suggests that
this assertion contradicts the terms agreed upon in Doha on December 07 between
the foreign ministers of Turkey, Iran, and Russia.
In a recent interview with Turkey’s NTV, Hakan Fidan stated,
"The most important thing we had to do was to talk to the Russians and
Iranians to ensure they would not enter the (Syria) equation with military
force. We spoke with the Russians and Iranians, and they understood the
issue."
The information obtained by the Tehran Times shows the December
07 summit under the Astana platform saw Turkey agree to a framework enabling
direct negotiations between the Syrian President and rebel forces, with Assad
remaining in power.
“It was agreed that the Syrian conflict would be resolved
through political means, with both the Assad government and the armed
opposition entering into dialogue,” a source involved in the Doha talks told
the Tehran Times.
“The agreement was signed by Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas
Araghchi, Turkey's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, and Russia's Foreign Minister
Sergey Lavrov. Yet, developments on the ground in Syria on Sunday,
December 09, show that Turkey did not adhere to what it had signed.”
Armed factions led by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) rebels
launched a surprise attack against Syria’s northwestern Aleppo Province on
November 27. The militants quickly advanced towards Damascus in the face of the
Syrian army’s refusal to resist.
Reports and evidence show the HTS and its allied factions
have been receiving substantial financial and military support from Turkey, the
United States, and Israel.
