Moscow hosts talks aimed at Syria-Turkey rapprochement – KION546

MOSCOW (AP) — Senior diplomats from Russia, Turkey, Syria and Iran have wrapped up two days of talks in Moscow, part of the Kremlin’s efforts to help broker a rapprochement between the Turkish and Syrian governments. Russian and Turkish foreign ministries issued terse readouts Tuesday, saying the diplomats discussed preparations for a planned meeting of the four countries’ foreign ministers. While Russia has teamed up with Iran to allow Syrian President Bashar Assad’s government to reclaim control over most of the country, Turkey has backed armed opposition groups. The Kremlin has maintained a military foothold in Syria and has made persistent efforts to help Damascus rebuild fractured ties with other countries in the region, including Turkey.