Russia confirms quadrilateral meeting for May 10

ANKARA

Russia confirmed May 10 for a quadrilateral meeting between Türkiye, Russia, Iran and the Syrian regime, the Turkish foreign minister said Friday.

It is not clear who will attend from Iran if that country’s foreign minister decides to embark on an Africa tour, Mevlut Cavusoglu told Turkish broadcaster TV24.

Regarding Turkish troops in northern Syria, he said if forces withdraw from the area, terror groups will fill the space.

“Terrorist organizations persecute everyone and exile anyone who does not obey them. It means a wave of immigration towards our door. More importantly, it would be a very serious threat to our national security,” he said.

Noting that Türkiye has engaged with the Syrian regime and its administration, he said a joint statement may be issued after the meeting.

“It is not possible to say clearly in advance what we will agree on in our talks that day,” he added.

Turkish, Russian and Syrian regime defense ministers and intelligence chiefs met last December in Moscow and agreed to continue tripartite meetings to ensure stability in Syria and the wider region.

Iran was also included in the talks, with Türkiye indicating earlier that Ankara would be "pleased if Iran is involved in this process."

*Writing by Gozde Bayar