Turkey says Astana talks are not competing with Geneva peace process

Turkish Prime Minister said on Monday that the Astana peace process between Turkey,  Russia and Iran is not competing with the United Nations’ (UN) long-running Geneva discussions, but rather working next to them to secure peace for Syria.  

"This process is not competing with the Geneva process," Binali Yildirim said during an address at the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) in London.

"Astana peace talks, trilateral meetings, are not an alternative to Geneva, what we try to do is prepare infrastructure for solutions in Geneva," he said

Russian President Vladimir Putin, alongside Iran and Turkey, has stepped up diplomatic and military initiatives focused on Syria in recent months, including seven meetings held in Astana, Kazakhstan.

He also hosted Syria’s Assad last week for a three-hour meeting aimed at laying the groundwork for progress in the long-dormant peace process.

The flurry of activity has resulted in the establishment of four "de-escalation" zones inside Syria.

This success contrasts with the stalled efforts at ending the war in Geneva.   

"Assad must leave"

The UN said Monday the Syrian regime had not yet confirmed that it would attend talks with the opposition due to restart there on Tuesday.

"We have achieved certain progress in terms of de-escalation and reducing the tensions in the country and moving toward a ceasefire," Yildirim added at his IISS talk.

But the Turkish prime minister reiterated his country's determination to see Assad leave power.

"Look how things evolved in Syria, who caused Syria to be in the situation that it is today - it all happened because of the regime, because of Assad," he said.

He added in the long-term, "Assad cannot possibly survive in Syria, we have to accept this".

Yildirim also took the opportunity to reaffirm Turkey's commitment to NATO, but noted the tensions over American alliances in the fight against Daesh.

He reiterated that Ankara views the Syria’s PYD group, and its armed wing the YPG - part of the US-led coalition fighting Daesh - as "terrorist organisations". 

"We have to protect our territory, and we would ideally want to do it together with NATO, and we work hard for that, but unfortunately, our voice was not heard," Yildirim said.

Refugee crisis

Stressing that more than 3.5 million Syrians have been accommodated in Turkey after fleeing their country due to civil war, Yildirim said 250,000 Syrian children were born in Turkey and around 600,000 Syrian children are being educated at Turkish schools.

“Of course, it would be unthinkable for Turkey - who shares a 911-kilometer-long border with Syria - to remain nonresponsive” to Syria becoming wreckage, he said.

“We have welcomed millions of people who fled oppression and attacks.”

Turning to the subject of terrorism, Yildirim said Turkey has rejected the entry of more than 50,000 foreign fighters from 54 different countries.

He said around 3,000 Daesh members were arrested or jailed.

“We have achieved great work in the fight against Daesh within the framework of [Operation] Euphrates Shield. We have neutralized 3,600 Daesh members on Syrian soil,” Yildirim said.

Peace in the region

Yildirim underscored that Turkey and Iran have had good neighborly relations for centuries.

“But we always say that religion and sects could never be countries’ politics; they cannot be shaped by them,” he added.

“We can think or believe differently. What we need to do is respect each other’s beliefs, thoughts and even interpretations. No matter what we are - Christian, Muslim, Shia or Sunni - we are all subjects created by Almighty God.”

Pointing out that Turkey is a country capable of providing a balance between the US, the EU, NATO countries, Russia and Iran, Yildirim said it is a country that can contribute to building lasting peace in the region.

S-400 missiles

Regarding a question on various concerns over Turkey’s purchase of the S-400 missile defense system from Russia, he said “the answer is simple”.

“We say to the US that ‘PYD/YPG is a terrorist organization. Do not cooperate with them’, and they turn to us to say ‘This is not a choice; this is a necessity.’ I also say the S-400s are not a choice but a necessity.”

Lira being tested

Turning to the economy, Yildirim said the Turkish lira is being tested but the economy is strong enough to deal with fluctuations.

“Turkey has received 15 similar attacks in the past 10 years but managed to overcome them all,” he said.

Yildirim earlier Monday met his British counterpart Theresa May and Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson.

Yildirim was being accompanied on his official London visit by Turkey’s EU Minister Omer Celik, Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu, National Defense Minister Nurettin Canikli, ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party Deputy Chair Mehdi Eker and AK Party acting parliamentary group head Mustafa Elitas.