Syria: Intensive Negotiations Between Arab and Muslim Countries

The offensive by jihadist rebels, who in Syria have also occupied the city of Hama after capturing Aleppo, is causing strong concern in neighboring countries. On Thursday, December 5, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty (pictured) held a series of telephone talks on the situation in Syria with his counterparts Hakan Fidan of Turkey, Abbas Araghchi of Iran, and Abdullah bin Zayed of the United Arab Emirates.

According to Egyptian media reports, Minister Abdelatty “discussed with the heads of diplomatic departments of the four countries the developments in northern Syria and their serious implications for the security and stability of the region,” emphasizing “Egypt’s firm position in support of the Syrian state and the importance of respecting its sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity, as well as the critical importance of protecting civilians.”

The Egyptian Foreign Minister conveyed to his counterparts the idea of “the need for concerted commitments at the regional and international level to defuse the situation,” reiterating Egypt’s total refusal to incite sectarian strife or jeopardize the country’s sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity.

Earlier on Wednesday, December 4, Abdelatty also held an exchange of views with US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on “ways to de-escalate the situation in Syria and restore security and stability.”

Syrian authorities accuse Turkey of supporting militias fighting against government forces alongside jihadist rebels. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan rejected the accusations and called on UN Secretary-General António Guterres to call for more international mediation in the Syrian conflict.

In Syria, President Bashar al-Assad’s government needs to reach “a global political solution,” Erdogan said during a phone call with Guterres. Erdogan emphasized that “Turkey wishes that there were no civilian casualties or instability in Syria.” Ankara, as the Turkish president told the UN secretary-general, “is working to reduce tensions, protect civilians, and pave the way for a political process.”