Commenting on the quadrilateral meeting between the defense ministers and intelligence chiefs of Turkey, Russia, Iran and Syria that took place in Moscow today, Tuesday, a ministry statement said the meeting also dealt with ways to intensify efforts . Returning Syrian refugees to their land and ways to combat all terrorist organizations and extremist groups on Syrian soil.
According to the statement, the meeting took place “in a positive atmosphere” and stressed respect for the territorial integrity of Syria. The participants also stressed the importance of continuing the quadrilateral meetings to provide and sustain stability in Syria and the region.
In Moscow, the Russian Defense Ministry said that Minister Sergei Shoigu discussed issues of strengthening security in Syria with his Iranian, Turkish and Syrian counterparts in Moscow.
The ministry said the defense ministers and leaders of the security services of Syria, Russia, Turkey and Iran focused their discussions on countering all extremist groups in Syria and reaffirmed their keenness to preserve Syria’s territorial integrity . regional security.
After 11 years of estrangement, Turkey’s defense minister and his counterpart in the Syrian regime met in Moscow last December in the presence and participation of the Russian foreign minister, and agreed to create a joint committee of defense and intelligence officials to hold the meetings. both in the Russian capital and later in Ankara and Damascus.
Relations between Ankara and Damascus have been strained since the outbreak of the Syrian revolution in 2011, which later escalated into a bloody armed conflict that has killed hundreds of thousands and displaced millions.