Thread by @AleksKhlebnikov

Tomorrow Sept.16 Ankara to host trilateral #Russia-#Iran-#Turkey summit on #Syria. It is expected to announce quite important decisions on, e.g. finalization of the Constitutional Committee & political process in general, #Idlib, return of #refugees, humanitarian aid. Stay tuned.

#Putin just landed in #Ankara for trilateral #Syria summit. Apart of #Syria related issues #Russia, #Iran & #Turkey will likely to discuss the recent attack on #SaudiArabia oil facilities which led to 19% increase of Brent price & will likely increase regional tensions.

#Putin & #Erdogan just finished bilateral talks. Instead of planned hour-long meeting they spent 2 hrs.
Topics discussed are quite evident judging by #Russia's lineup:
- #Lavrov
- FP aide Ushakov
- energy minister Novak
- defense minister #Shoigu
- #Syria special envoy Lavrentiev

#Putin after talks with #Erdogan: We praise #Turkey's role in Astana process and in formation of #Syria|n constitutional committee. In general, the work on formation of the committee is completed we only expect it to agree on procedural details.

#Putin held talks with #Iran's president #Rouhani. He praised Iranian role in the fight against terrorism in #Syria and its help in formation of the Constitutional Committee.

5th Trilateral #Syria summit in Ankara between #Putin-#Rouhani-#Erdogan just kicked off.

#Rouhani mentions 1998 Adana agreement between #Turkey and #Syria. Says it can help to address concerns of all parties if the parties agree to get back to it.

#Putin: It is unacceptable to divide #Syria into zones of influence in country's north-east... Economic restoration of Syria must not be politicized.

#Rouhani: Damascus sovereignty must be restored over the areas east of Euphrates.

Joint presser after #Putin-#Erdogan-#Rouhani meeting on #Syrian started.
Erdogan says:
- they agreed to make sure that #Sochi memorandum on #Idlib must be implemented
- #ISIS is no threat to the region anymore
- #PKK & #YPG is the biggest threat.

#Erdogan mulls idea of creating "the belt of stability" along #Turkey-#Syria border east of Euphrates to avoid formation of "the terrorist belt" (meaning #YPG).

#Erdogan says if in 2 weeks he doesn't reach an agreement with he US on north-east Syria buffer zone, Turkey will take unilateral actions. "We can resettle 2-3 mln #refugees to the areas of our "belt of stability."

#Putin: List of members of the #Syria|n Constitutional Committee is fully agreed upon and finalized. Now it should start its activities on #Geneva platform.

#Putin: Since summer 2018 over 390,000 #refugees have returned to #Syria and over 1.5 mln IDPs have come back home. However, the problem of economic reconstruction of the country is extremely acute, it must not be politicized.

#Putin: There are still 2 major challenges for #Syria|n Constitutional Committee work:
1. Its members should agree upon procedures of the Committee's work;
2. The members must not be influenced/pressured by external powers.

#Putin: If #SaudiArabia wants to protect itself it should make wise decision and follow #Iran & #Turkey who bought #Russia's air-defense systems. Our #S400 will securely protect KSA infrastructural objects.
#Rouhani laughs: What KSA should buy? S300 or S400?
Putin: Let them chose

Trilateral meeting on #Syria btw #Putin, #Rouhani & #Erdogan is over.
Wrap-up:
- Constitutional Committee is finalized
- Joint work on #Idlib will continue
- If in 2 weeks #Turkey & US don't reach a deal on NE Syria Trk to take unilateral actions (likely coordinated w/Ru & IR)

To be honest, no game-changer happened during trilateral summit on #Syria. All the same:
- no mechanism to sort out #Idlib
- same for NE Syria: US is still there, #Turkey will unlikely take unilateral action
- Int $ won't flow for Syr reconstr soon as well as refugees en-masse