With the Astana talks drawing near, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu yesterday held a critical meeting between the Syrian opposition and the regime in Ankara aimed at establishing a permanent solution to the ongoing Syrian crisis, according to Russian news agencies.After Turkey, Russia and Iran reached a joint agreement towards finding a solution to the ongoing humanitarian tragedy in Syria at a trilateral meeting in Moscow last week, Minister Çavuşoğlu held back-to-back phone conversations yesterday and on Monday with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov, and talked to his Iranian counterpart Javad Zarif yesterday, discussing the recent developments in Syria.Meanwhile, Russian news outlets, RIA Novosti and the Interfax claimed that the Syrian regime was holding talks with the Syrian opposition yesterday in Ankara, ahead of possible peace talks in Astana, Kazakhstan.The Turkish Foreign Ministry, however, did not confirm or deny the meeting. The Syrian Coalition of Revolutionary and Opposition Forces (SMDK) Executive Member, Fuad Eliko told Sputnik, "The meeting held in Ankara aims to establish a ceasefire throughout Syria. Primarily, Turkey and the Syrian opposition have held long talks among themselves and now the sides [regime and opposition] are holding talks."Adding on to his remarks, Eliko stressed that the talks were principally aimed at establishing "a joint ceasefire" through political means.Russia's Lavrov also refrained from giving any information on the reported talks in Ankara but vowed yesterday that his country would work more closely with Turkey and Iran on the situation in Syria.He said the cooperation between the three countries saved numerous lives by helping to evacuate eastern Aleppo."We will further build our cooperation with Ankara, Tehran and other countries in the region on the Syrian question," Lavrov told the Interfax news agency.Commenting on the reported talks in Ankara between the Syrian opposition and the regime, the High Negotiations Committee said it had no knowledge of the negotiations.The phone call between Çavuşoğlu and Lavrov took place upon request from the Russian side. The ministers exchanged opinions on the current situation in Syria, while agreeing that military campaigns in Syria should stop and oppositional groups should be separated from terrorist organizations.According to the official statement, both foreign ministers underlined the importance of approving practical steps for the preparation of the planned meeting in Astana, which will take place upon the invitation of Kazakhstan's government and in accordance with the U.N. Security Council's decision on the political resolution process in Syria, as soon as possible.Furthermore, shortly after speaking to his Russian counterpart, the Turkish foreign minister also talked to his Iranian counterpart over the phone. According to diplomatic sources, the two ministers also discussed the developments in Syria as well as Iraq, in efforts to establish permanent peace and stability in the region.After Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Russian President Vladimir Putin both agreed on the Astana peace talks between the Syrian moderate oppositions and the Assad regime, Turkey, Russia and Iran announced last week that they had reached an agreement on an eight-step "joint declaration" towards finding a solution to the Syrian crisis.Russia's Lavrov said, "The most efficient and effective format for solving the Syrian crisis is our current trilateral format."Meanwhile, Çavuşoğlu added, "The best solution [for Syria] is a political solution and we believe in this. We have to focus on this."In that respect, eight steps are to be taken by Turkey, Russia and Iran in efforts to revive the political process and ultimately end the Syrian conflict.