Astana

Two days of talks in Astana that brought Syria's government and opposition groups around the same table helped in surpassing four key thresholds in efforts to resolve the five years of unrest in the war-torn country, according to Turkish officials, which believe the upcoming Geneva negotiations will be based on a more solid ground. 

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will hold talks with officials from Syria's political opposition on Jan. 27, Moscow said, but it appeared representatives from armed rebel groups were not invited.

Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım has described the Astana meetings on Syria as a "diplomatic success," expressing his hope that the process will continue in Geneva through talks for a political solution.

As the first day of the Astana negotiations is over it seems that the overall outcome may be positive. The three sides, Russia, Turkey and Iran seem to have reached an agreement on a final common announcement about a mechanism that will supervise the ceasefire.

Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus has stated to Anadolu Press Agency that Turkey is not going to hand over the Syrian town of al-Bab to President Bashar al-Assad’s forces after its liberation from ISIS.

This statement, given the fact that the Syria peace negotiations are underway in Astana, Kazakhstan, complicates the situations greatly.

The Syrian Kurdish People's Protection Unit (YPG), which is the military wing of the Syrian Democratic Union Party (PYD), said on Jan. 23 that it would not be bound by any decision that emerges from the Syria talks in Kazakhstan as it was not involved in the meetings.

Russia, Iran and Turkey, the sponsors of peace talks between Syrian rebels and Damascus, agreed on Jan. 23 to establish a joint "mechanism" to monitor the frail truce in the war-torn country, at the end of the two-day talks in Kazakh capital Astana.

Turkey, Russia and Iran have reached an agreement to form a three-party mechanism to monitor cease-fire violations in Syria, Turkey's state-run Anadolu Agency reported on Jan. 24. 

A solution at the Syria peace talks in Astana should not be expected in a day or two, Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus said Jan. 23 after a cabinet meeting.  

Peace talks aimed at ending the Syria conflict through a gathering between the Syrian government and rebel groups made a rocky start on Jan. 23 in the Kazakh capital of Astana.