Lavrov – Davutoglu phone conversation
Perhaps it is a coincidence. But even if it is a coincidence it is filled with a deep political meaning. The foreign ministers of Russia and Turkey Sergei Lavrov and Ahmet Davutoglu have held a telephone conversation. As the Russian Foreign Ministry said, the sides "emphasized the importance of the early convening of a peace conference on Syria "Geneva-2" "with the Syrian authorities and the main opposition groups and ethno-confessional groups" At the same time there were messages that governmental armies and fighters of the Syrian opposition signed an armistice for providing the population of the settlement Kudsaya near Damaskus with food and living essentials. It is the first truce between the conflicting parts for a long time.
On the National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces it was announced that it is ready to take part in “Geneva-2” conference. “ According to the agreement signed between the USA, France, Turkey and 11 other countries we are ready to take part in the second Geneva conference”, said Khalid El Salih, the coalition spokesman.
During the visit of Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs Davutoglu to Iraq and his negotiations with his Iraq colleague Hoshiyar Zebari the agreement was reached: despite the disagreements in the Syrian question, Syria and Iraq agreed to cooperate in regulation of the Syrian crisis. At last, the leader of the Democratic Union Party (PYD) - the main political structure of the Syrian Kurds - Saleh Muslim reported to the Taraf newspaper that Turkey stopped assisting the groups connected with "Al-Qaeda" around the Syrian border. According to him "the gangs don't attack us from Turkey any more"
Recently the Syrian opposition designated the main condition of its participation in "Geneva-2" – the removal of Bashar Assad from power in Damaskus. But after the USA declared that they still "will provide the representation of opposition forces" at peace conference, hinting at an opposition promiscuity, the Syrian national council could appear out of the negotiation process. Or it could split up. Especially, according to the NCSRO press secretary Sara Harkur, "some members of NCSRO manifested desire to go to Geneva". The main conclusion follows: the Syrian opposition removes the requirement about Assad's indispensable resignation at this stage.
Certainly, it doesn't mean that everything will be done without rough political debates on "Geneva-2". So, National coalitions of the Syrian opposition refused the offered intermediary efforts of Russia to hold the informal negotiations with Assad's representatives in Moscow. At the same time Turkey can't act as the intermediary because it supports the Syrian opposition. But anyway, it is important that Moscow and Ankara began to push together the process of the Syrian peace regulation instead of the armed confrontation.
War in Syria is unpopular in Turkey, its consequences affect the national economy and socio-political stability, especially in border vilayets. Moreover the ruling Justice and Development Party prepares for regional elections, and then will be the parliamentary elections and then the presidential which will define the prospects of further development of the country. Therefore it is important for Ankara to enter a long electoral cycle with "Geneva-2". If the Turkish diplomacy will show the consistency on this direction, a lot of things could turn out.
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