Russia’s President Vladimir Putin met with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in Moscow on July 24, 2024, to discuss an escalation in the Middle East, as images shown on television revealed. The meeting took place late Wednesday and follows Russia’s military intervention in 2015 that saved Assad’s government during a civil war.
This marks the first meeting between Putin and al-Assad since March of last year. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has mentioned the possibility of the three leaders meeting to normalize ties between Ankara and Damascus. In 2019, Erdogan referred to a “terror corridor” that could open up in northern Syria if Turkey did not take action, prompting numerous offensives in Syria since 2016 targeting Kurdish militias, Islamic State group jihadists, and forces loyal to Assad. Pro-Turkish forces now control two large strips of territory along the border.
Turkey initially aimed to topple Assad’s regime when the Syrian conflict began with the violent suppression of peaceful protesters in 2011. However, more recently, Ankara has shifted focus towards preventing this “terror corridor” from emerging. Erdogan has mentioned that he could reconsider ties with Assad as his government works to ensure a safe and voluntary return of Syrian refugees.
With Russia’s intervention in Syria’s civil war in 2015, the country managed to save al-Assad’s government from falling apart. Now, Russia has an opportunity to mediate and defuse tensions between Syria and Turkey, which could help stabilize the region and improve relations between Ankara and Damascus.
The meeting between Putin and al-Assad is a significant development in the ongoing Middle East crisis, with potential implications for regional stability and the future of Syrian-Turkish ties. As both countries continue to navigate their complex relationships with each other and various factions within Syria, it remains to be seen how this latest encounter between Putin and al-Assad will shape the course of events in the region.