The much heralded summit meeting between Turkey, Russia and Iran was held in Sochi with sides setting the course for a solution to end the Syrian civil war. Some slated the summit as a grand achievement of Russian diplomacy, some saw this as a U-turn for Turkey and others said the summit pleased Iran.
The leaders of the three countries agreed on holding a Syrian People's Congress to find a permanent solution to the Syria crisis, while Turkey reiterated its determination on excluding PKK-affiliated groups from the process, designating the matter as its "red line."
The leaders also underlined their commitment to an "undivided Syria that will preserve its territorial integrity" which is a clear reference that the U.S.-supported PKK-affiliated terrorists will not be able to carve out a state or an autonomous enclave for themselves in northeastern Syria.
The Syrian People's Congress will include all ethnic and religious groups in Syria, which means the Turkmens as well as the Kurds will be present. However, Turkey is adamant in its opposition for the Democratic Union Party (PYD), the offshoot of the PKK, to be represented in the Congress. Turkey considers the PYD as a terrorist group that has hijacked the Kurdish political movement in Syria killing and jailing its adversaries.
In a press conference held after the meeting, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan ruled out attempts to include the PYD in the Syrian peace process, saying that no one should expect Turkey to sit at a negotiation table with a terrorist group that "poses a national security threat" to the country. Now Russia and Iran as well as Turkey have to ponder on how the Kurds will be represented at these meetings.
The summit follows a flurry of diplomatic contacts by Russian President Vladimir Putin when he talked to U.S. President Donald Trump and well as Bashar Assad. Putin reported to the leaders of Turkey and Syria that the Damascus leadership is committed to the peace process, constitutional reform and free elections observed by the U.N. Putin also said the three presidents agreed to step up efforts to finish off "terrorist" groups in Syria which Turkey regards as a reference to the PKK-affiliated terrorists of Syria as well as other terrorist groups…
For his part, Erdoğan told a press conference in Sochi that Turkey, Russia and Iran had reached a consensus on an "inclusive and fair" political transition process in Syria.
The Russian success in the whole affair is clear. Yet none of it could have been achieved only by Russia and Iran. On the contrary, Turkey's inclusion at the Syrian table has been conducive to the success of the peace process so far. If it wasn't for Turkey there would have been no effective Astana peace process and no meaningful cease-fire. That is why Putin has been so keen on maintaining close and strong relations with Erdoğan to push the peace process in Syria ahead.
The road ahead is winding and full of traps. Yet they are not unsurmountable. First there has to be a permanent and lasting cease-fire in Syria where Assad's planes do not bomb civilians. Then you have to clear away the terrorist elements in the country. Then comes the formation of political groups that will be represented in the People's Congress and eventual drafting of the new constitution and then elections. Every step is a major challenge. Yet it is very clear that Russia could not have reached this far without the golden contributions of Turkey and Erdoğan.