UPDATE - Turkish foreign minister soon to head to Moscow for Syria talks

ADDS TURKISH FOREIGN MINISTRY STATEMENT, BACKGROUND; OTHER CHANGES

By Diyar Guldogan

ANKARA (AA) - A four-way meeting in Moscow between Türkiye, Russia, Iran, and the Syrian regime will be held on Wednesday, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Tuesday.

"I'm going to Moscow from here. We will hold the meeting of the foreign ministers of Türkiye, Russia, Iran and Syria in Moscow," Cavusoglu said at an event in the southern Antalya province.

"Our aim is to achieve permanent stability and peace in Syria, to cooperate in the fight against the YPG/PKK terrorist organization that wants to divide Syria and threatens us from there, and to ensure that Syrians in Türkiye return to their homes in a voluntary and safe manner.

"I hope our meeting tomorrow will be beneficial," Cavusoglu added.

Cavusoglu on Tuesday will start a two-day visit to Moscow to attend the meeting, said the Foreign Ministry.

At the meeting, participants are set to exchange views on normalizing relations between Türkiye and Syria and to discuss counter terrorism, political process and humanitarian matters including the voluntary, safe and dignified return of Syrians, the ministry said in a statement.

Cavusoglu will also hold bilateral talks on the sidelines of the meeting.

Last December, defense ministers and intelligence chiefs of Türkiye, Russia, and the Syrian regime met in Moscow and agreed to continue tripartite meetings to ensure stability in Syria and the wider region.

Iran was also included in the talks, with Türkiye previously saying that Ankara would be "pleased if Iran is involved in this process."

Syria has been mired in a vicious civil war since early 2011, when the Assad regime cracked down on pro-democracy protests with unexpected ferocity.

In its more than 35-year terror campaign against Türkiye, the PKK – listed as a terrorist organization by Türkiye, the US, and EU – has been responsible for the deaths of more than 40,000 people, including women, children, and infants. The YPG is its Syrian branch.

Since 2016, Türkiye has launched several cross-border operations into northern Syria to establish security and stability along the border region, protect Syrian civilians from the terrorist groups, allow the safe resettlement of Syrians, and also protect the territorial integrity of both Türkiye and Syria.