Unexpected developments are taking place in Syria and the broader region. People's Protection Units (YPG) terrorists, in cooperation with the United States, have recently taken control of Raqqa from Daesh. In other words, Washington increased its footprint in Syria through the proxy of a terrorist group. Meanwhile, a crisis broke out in Lebanon, as Prime Minister Saad Hariri announced his resignation from Saudi Arabia. While Lebanon claimed that its prime minister had been taken hostage in Riyadh, this critical development came to be seen as a precursor of the next hot conflict in the Middle East. At the time, practically everybody thought that Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Israel and the U.S. were going to attack Hezbollah positions in Lebanon. Hariri, however, decided to suspend his resignation.

It appears that the whole episode was part of a negotiation between rival psychological warfare specialists, who agreed to subdue Hezbollah. Consequently, Hezbollah announced that it was going to possibly withdraw its fighters from Iraq. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Hariri targeted the group by saying that he would not let Hezbollah affect his government's relations with his Arab brothers.

While the world was watching the situation in Lebanon unfold, the three guarantors in Syria suddenly changed the conversation in diplomatic circles. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani decided to meet in Sochi. Ahead of the trilateral summit, the foreign ministers of said countries gathered in Antalya.

At the same time, their top military commanders held meetings in Sochi. A meeting between the Russian leader and Bashar Assad, the butcher of Syria, in Sochi the day before the trilateral summit suggested that important decisions were about to be made. In the end, Presidents Erdoğan, Putin and Rouhani indeed made some important decisions about the future of Syria. The three countries agreed to support a political solution to the Syrian conflict. Accordingly, a congress of all players in Syria will convene, de-conflicting zones will be expanded to all parts of the country and steps will be taken to promote stability in existing de-conflicting zones.

If Turkey, Russia and Iran throw their weight behind a peaceful resolution, the Syrian conflict could be possible - which is why the Sochi summit was very important. Looking at the family picture of the three leaders, however, one notices the absence of another important player in Syria. To say the least, the U.S. had no place in the said picture. Whether Washington was truly denied a seat at the table or U.S. President Donald Trump made a secret pact with Russia to deliver a list of demands to President Putin remains a mystery.

Several sources suggested last week that the latter was correct, noting that the Russians had tried to desperately secure a seat for the Democratic Union Party (PYD)-YPG at the Syria congress – which, they say, reflects Washington's will. Needless to say, Turkey is very sensitive about the PYD's potential inclusion in any type of national dialogue. In Sochi, the Turkish president made it clear that his country would not negotiate with a terrorist organization. Judging by the statements made since the trilateral summit, however, it appears that no final decision has been made about the PYD's participation in the congress. If Turkey faces more pressure about the PYD's inclusion, sources warn, Ankara would consider turning its back on the new roadmap.

Meanwhile, President Trump made a surprise move: Amid problems between his country and Turkey, he called President Erdoğan, called Washington's existing policy "nonsense" and promised that the U.S. would stop sending weapons to YPG terrorists. Provided that the delivery of approximately 4,000 truckloads of weapons to the group by Washington has been poisoning Turkey-U.S. relations, this was an important development.

Nowadays, policymakers in the Turkish capital Ankara are asking themselves the following questions: Did Trump mean what he said? Of course, the Turks have taken President Trump's words with a bucket of salt because the U.S. has repeatedly made promises to Ankara with no intention of keeping them. There are two running theories about Mr. Trump's most recent move: First, Washington thought that it had been sidelined by the Sochi summit and wanted to play some kind of role in Syria by reaching out to Turkey. Second, the U.S. made a secret deal with Russia and wants to cross out the YPG issue from its long list of problems with the Turks.

Cautious as ever, Turkish officials focus on the developments on the ground rather than words. Ragıp Soylu, Daily Sabah's experienced correspondent in Washington, stated on social media that U.S. officials confirmed President Trump's pledge that no weapons would be sent directly to the YPG. However, he concluded that the YPG militants would continue to receive U.S. support through the proxy of the Syrian Democratic Forces. As such, it would appear that PYD-YPG presence in Syria will remain a serious problem for Turkey.