Kremlin: Russia, Turkey, Iran leaders to meet in Russia on Feb. 14
February 04, 2019 - Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet the leaders of Iran and Turkey in the Russian Black Sea resort town Sochi on Feb. 14, RIA Novosti reported, citing the Kremlin.
It gave no further details but Putin said last month he would convene such a gathering to discuss the situation in Syria, Reuters reported.
Russia and Turkey have been trying to create a de-escalation zone in Syria.
The three countries say they want a political settlement to end the Syrian conflict. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also referred to the upcoming summit in Sochi, saying, "In Turkey's policy in northern Syria, Syria's territorial integrity and political unity are essential at this point. We are not in favor of the disintegration of the Syrian people," he said, adding that some 300,000 Syrian refugees have been able to return home from Turkey. Turkey currently hosts some 3.6 million Syrian refugees, according to estimates, Daily Sabah reported.
Syria has been gripped by foreign-backed terrorism since March 2011. Seven years into the deadly conflict, however, the Syrian government has been able to score major victories against Daesh and other terrorist groups, purging them from most parts of the country with help from Iran and Russia.