Jerusalem and Syria top Putin's agenda during his visit to Ankara

Russian President Vladimir Putin visits Turkey on Monday. The decision on the meeting came following the US President Donald Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, a decision condemned by the international community. 

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Putin are expected to discuss the latest developments on Jerusalem and the situation in Syria in particular, said the Turkish presidency announcing the visit on its website. 

During a phone conversation with Erdogan last week, Putin told him that he was “deeply concerned” by Trump’s decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, urging the parties to restart peace negotiations. 

The one-day meeting between Erdogan and Putin will be the third in one month and the seventh between the two leaders this year, the last one held in the Russian city of Sochi on November 22 included Iranian President Hassan Rouhani.

Russian stance on Israeli-Palestinian conflict 

Russia has been taking action to promote a political initiative regarding the conflict between Israel and Palestine, as Putin focuses on an attempt to convene a summit in Moscow between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Putin wants do this with the help of Egypt.

Last year in August, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el Sisi said that Putin pledged to directly intervene in the crisis:

“Putin has told me that he is ready to receive Abbas and Netanyahu in Moscow to carry out direct talks to find a solution.”

Neither side responded to the initiative eagerly since both parties have preconditions to restart peace talks. Palestine demands ending new Israeli settlements in Palestinian land, a practice the UN describes as illegal. And Israel, for its part, wants Palestine to recognise Israel as a Jewish state. The international agreements would support a two-state solution.

Since such role would strengthen Russia’s position as peacemaker in the Middle East, where the US and the West have failed, Moscow is trying to remain neutral. 

Although the US is the first country that has recognised Jerusalem entirely as the Israeli capital, Russia has already given signs that it will recognise part of the city as Israel’s capital.  

The Russian foreign ministry has announced it “views West Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.”

However, it also disagrees with “the illegality of Israel’s settlement policy in the Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem.”

Putin travelled to Egypt to meet Sisi, where he is also expected to meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to discuss the crisis.

There are also differences between Russia and Israel in regards to other regional issues, including Syria and the regional position of Iran, which is an arch foe of Israel. Netanyahu already asked Putin to stop Iranian-backed militias on the Syrian border with Israel. And also told Putin that they will continue to target those groups in Syria, even though Russia is allied with Iran in the Syrian war. 

Regarding Russia’s position in the conflict between Israel and Palestine, the issue will be high on Putin's agenda during his Turkey visit.

End of the war in Syria

Putin kicked off his regional trip on Monday with Syria where he said that "the war against terror had come to an end" and ordered his troops to begin withdrawing from the war-torn country.

“I made a decision: a significant part of the Russian military contingent, based in the Syrian Arab Republic, returns home, to Russia," Putin said at Russia's Khmeimim Air base, near Syria's Latakia province, on the Mediterranean coast.

Putin met with Syrian regime leader Bashar al Assad at the military air base, before his meeting with Erdogan. That was the two allies' second meeting in a month. The first meeting was also right before Putin's meeting with Erdogan on November 22 in Sochi.

The situation in post-war Syria will be on Putin’s agenda during his visit to Ankara, at a time when the Syrian regime forces backed by Russian forces, conducted attacks at a de-escalation zone in Idlib. Idlib was determined as a de-escalation zone by Russia, Turkey and Iran during the trilateral Astana talks in mid-September, and observation points started to be set up by Turkey and Russia in the province. 

Rebels and witnesses said dozens of aerial strikes believed to be conducted mainly by Russian jets in the last 48 hours hit opposition-held villages and towns in the northeastern Hama countryside and the southern part of Idlib province.

Turkish President Erdogan is expected to raise the issue with his Russian counterpart during their meeting. 

During a TV interview, Gulnur Aybet, a senior advisor to the Turkish president, said the two leaders will also discuss the upcoming meetings on the future of Syria, which will be held in the Kazakh city of Astana and in Russia’s Sochi.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov also confirmed what Aybet said. He said Putin and Erdogan will discuss preparations for the work of the Syrian Congress on National Dialogue in Sochi. It is reportedly planned to take place in February. 

Controversy on PYD

Moscow focuses on the Syrian Congress on National Dialogue for a new constitution for Syria and also for the transitional period, instead of UN-led Geneva peace talks. It wanted the PYD to attend the congress, a move that was harshly opposed by Turkey.

The PYD is the Syrian affiliate of the PKK, and the YPG is its armed wing. The PKK, which is designated a terror group by Turkey, the US and the EU, has been fighting the Turkish state for more than 30 years and left more than 40,000 people dead, including civilians.

Turkey's reaction led to the postponement of the congress and Russia told that the PYD won't be a part of it. 

But weeks later, a YPG member and a Russian commander were seen in the same picture in Syria's Deir Ezzor, as both groups were fighting Daesh in the province in separate areas. A picture that has angered Turkey.