Iran FM wraps up ‘successful’ trip to Syria, Turkey
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif wrapped up a “successful” trip during which he visited Syria and Turkey ahead of a new round of Syria talks next week in the Kazakh capital, newly renamed from Astana to Nur-Sultan.
“For Iran, our region is always our priority,” tweeted Zarif on Wednesday after two days of meetings in Damascus, where he met President Bashar al-Assad and Foreign Minister Walid Muallem, and Ankara, where he met president Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu.
"I had a long interview with Bashar al-Assad. I will be giving details of these discussions to Mr. Erdogan," he told reporters in Ankara ahead of his meeting with the Turkish leader, adding that Iran wants to help Turkey and Syria improve relations.
Erdogan has recently softened his harsh stance against Assad, who he has described in the past as an “assassin.” Turkey has backed Syrian opposition groups while Iran, along with Russia, has been a key backer of the Syrian regime, propping Assad up militarily.
"In Syria, from the start, on the ground, we do not agree with Iran on many issues," Cavusoglu said on Wednesday. "But we have decided to cooperate with Iran for a political solution."
Turkey, Iran, and Russia are the three guarantors of a Syrian peace effort known as the Astana process.
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad (L) walks alongside Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif in Damascus on April 16, 2019. Photo: handout/Syrian Presidency Facebook page/AFP
Zarif also shored up support against American sanctions on Iran.
“Our conscience does not accept that the brotherly Iranian people be punished,” said Cavusoglu. “Such steps puts regional stability, peace, calm, and economic development at risk.”
Since the United States withdrew from the Iranian nuclear deal in May 2017, Washington has imposed a series of sanctions against the Islamic Republic, including the oil sector. Most recently, the US made the dramatic decision to label Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) a terror organization.
Syria was forced this week to impose limits on fuel subsidies because of a crisis it blames on sanctions. In his meeting with Zarif, Assad said Washington’s “misguided policies” are one of the main sources of regional instability, according to a statement from his office.
Turkey was granted one of eight waivers issued by Washington to continue buying Iran’s oil. That waiver will expire next month and Ankara “expects” to get an administration, presidential spokesperson Ibrahim Kalin said on Tuesday.
“We have made it clear we would like to continue to buy Iranian oil. People should not expect Turkey to turn its back on Iran just like that,” he said in a news conference.