TEHRAN, Dec 07 (AFP): The top diplomats from Iran, Turkey and Russia met in Qatar on Saturday for talks on Syria, where rebel forces have taken parts of the country in a lightning offensive.
After the discussions in Doha with his Russian and Turkish counterparts, Sergei Lavrov and Hakan Fidan, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the parties agreed on the initiation of "political dialogue between the Syrian government and the legitimate opposition groups".
The three countries have been involved since 2017 in the so-called Astana format talks seeking a political settlement in Syria.
However, the situation in the country has changed dramatically in recent days after rapid gains by Islamist-led rebel forces who oppose Iran-backed Syrian president Bashar al-Assad.
On Saturday, a commander with the Islamist-led alliance that launched the new offensive said "our forces have begun the final phase of encircling the capital", though the Syrian defence ministry said "there is no truth to news claiming" the army had withdrawn from positions near Damascus.
Ahead of the meeting, Araghchi said he had "very frank and direct" talks with his Turkish counterpart and the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who this week called on Assad to "reconcile with his people", said Friday he "hoped the advance of the rebels would continue without incident", identifying Damascus as their objective.
Qatar, meanwhile, supported the rebels at the start of the Syrian civil war in 2011, but is now calling for a negotiated end to the conflict.
On November 27, a coalition of rebels led by the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) launched an offensive from its stronghold in Idlib, seizing dozens of localities and the strategic cities of Aleppo and Hama, among others.
Meanwhile, Syrian rebel commander Hassan Abdel Ghani sought to reassure religious minorities on Saturday, after Islamist-led fighters snatched key cities and swathes of territory from government control.
His comments come as rebels sought to advance into Syria's third city of Homs, after their alliance led by the Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) launched an offensive last week.
They seized key urban centres in days, including second city Aleppo, home to a Christian minority, as well as Hama, with nearby towns home to members of the Ismaili sect.
Homs is also home to a sizeable Alawite minority, who share President Bashar al-Assad's faith. HTS's precursor Al-Nusra Front, which was linked to Al-Qaeda, had carried out deadly attacks on Alawites there in the early days of Syria's war.
Now, after seizing areas where "different religious sects and minorities" live, Abdel Ghani said in a statement on Telegram: "We ask that all sects be reassured... for the era of sectarianism and tyranny has gone away forever".
Iran, Russia, Turkey meet to discuss Syria
Rebel leader says no place for 'sectarianism'
FE Team | Published: December 07, 2024 23:40:29
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