Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said that the Syrian talks in Astana has potential to become an important turning point for the future of the Syrian settlement.

The intra-Syrian talks between the delegation of the government in Damascus and armed opposition groups, which took place earlier this week in Astana, may become an important turning point for the future of the Syrian settlement, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said.

“The conflicting sides discussed the ways to strengthen the ceasefire regime and its extension across all Syria. The meeting was very important as it increased the level of trust between the sides. We hope that the outcomes of the Astana talks will make a contribution to the Geneva process and will become a crucial point for the Syrian future,” Cavusoglu said Tuesday, while on a visit to Mozambique, as quoted by the Anadolu news agency.

The intra-Syrian talks, brokered by Moscow, Ankara and Tehran, were held in Astana on January 23-24 and brought the Syrian government and opposition groups face-to-face for the first time since the beginning of the civil war in Syria in 2011. The Astana negotiations will be followed by a UN-mediated meeting in Geneva expected to take place on February 8.

As a result of the talks, Russia, Iran and Turkey decided to establish a trilateral mechanism to monitor the ceasefire in Syria.

Source: Agencies