Trilateral Summit on In Ankara- Is Everyone on the Same Page? Damascus labels SDF as "separatist terrorist militia", again.

1- Syrian government labels SDF ‘separatist terrorist militias’ ahead of Ankara talksSDF/PKK fighters. Could you tell them apart from ISIS if they wore the ISIS costume?The Syrian government has previously labeled the SDF as separatist militia’s- So this is nothing new. Wondering why the 5 eyes media is giving attention to this fact, at this time? Might it be the fact that Russia, Iran and Turkey are meeting today? And perhaps they’ve got a solution, a final deal,  in the works?

“Kurdish-led SDF calls for dialogue one day before Putin, Erdogan and Rouhani are set to meet in Ankara”

Recall a month ago the US stood alongside their Kurdish proxies, the PKK, and demanded to meet with Damascus?

Have they become more desperate?Defense post continues:

In a rare (not so rare) shift of rhetoric, Syria’s foreign ministry labeled the Syrian Democratic Forces as “separatist terrorist militias” in a letter to United Nations Secretary-General.The letter accuses the SDF of operating in line with “schemes” by the United States and Israel and says the Syrian government will “liberate” territories captured by the militias, state news agency SANA reported on Sunday, September 15, ahead of a Monday meeting of the presidents of Russia, Iran and Turkey to discuss Syria.According to SANA, the letter claims the SDF has moved on from taking part in “committing crimes of the “International Coalition” against the Syrian people,” accusing the SDF of now “kidnapping, torturing, killing and displacing civilians.”

                                “The SDF’s push into the oil-rich majority-Arab province of Deir Ezzor in Syria’s east in 2017 drew scorn from the Syrian government, which has repeatedly vowed to take back all Syrian territory the government lost during the war.”The SDF on Sunday again ( as I’ve said, it’s been more then once the PKK made demands on Damascus) called on the government to end “hostilities against our forces” and renewed its call for “dialogue with the forces representing the Kurds, Arabs and all components of the north and east of Syria to search for real solutions” to secure peace and stability “on the basis of constitutional recognition of self-administrations” and acceptance of the SDF.The Syrian government has rebuffed the Autonomous Administration’s demands before, (and more then once the Damascus government has called the SDF/PKK separatists and terrorists) calling them “separatist” and saying it will never accept the partitioning of the country. Northeast Syrian leaders say they are not seeking partition, but rather a form of negotiated integrated autonomy that would include incorporation of the SDF into Syria’s armed forces.

As was written well over a year ago..here at the blog - Incorporating the terrorist, separatist PKK into Syria’s armed forces would be catastrophic for Syria. Same as it had been for Iraq.   

"Turkey, Russia and Iran set to discuss SyriaThe Syrian government’s rare public rebuke came one day before Russia’s President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan are set to meet President Hassan Rouhani of Iran in Ankara for their fifth summit on the Syrian conflict since 2017."

2-SANA

Foreign and Expatriates Ministry on Sunday stressed that the criminal and repressive acts being exercised by the separatist terrorist militias of the so-called “QASAD” against Syrian citizens match up with the schemes implemented by states agents to the USA and prepared by authorities of the Israeli occupation for the region, stressing Syria’s determination to restore every inch of the Syrian territories and liberate them from terrorism.The Ministry said in a letter directed to Secretary-General of the United Nations and the President of the Security Council that separatist terrorist militias of the so-called “QASAD” continue their terrorist and criminal exercises against the Syrians in the provinces in Hasaka, Raqqa, Deir Ezzor and Aleppo –backed by the USA and forces of “International Coalition”, which provide them with military, logistic, financial and political support.“That goes in line with schemes being implemented by some states agents to the USA and plotted by authorities of the Israeli occupation, neglecting UNSC resolutions that stress sovereignty and territorial unity of Syria and unity of its people,” it added.The Ministry continued to say that “QASAD” militias not only took part in committing crimes of the “International Coalition” against the Syrian people but also moved to another stage,i.e. kidnapping torturing, killing and displacing civilians. They also illegitimately recruit the youth with the aim of imposing a new status quo that serves the US and Israeli schemes in the region and prolongs the war of terror in Syria.

It clarified that the exercises of the terrorist militias come in a time when the Syrian Arab Army is fighting “Jabhat al-Nusra” terrorists and terrorist organizations affiliated to Daesh and Qaeda in Idleb province.The Ministry said that the Syrian government is resolved, with the help of the friendly countries and allies, to restore each inch of the Syrian territories and liberate them from terrorism, in addition to reconstructing what has been destroyed due to terrorism.It is also resolved to liberate areas controlled by the separatist terrorist militias of the so-called “QASAD”, as the Syrian people will not allow them to harm the country’s unity and sovereignty.It added that Syria’s declaration of opening humanitarian corridors such as Abu al-Dohour in Idleb for civilians to leave areas controlled by Jabhat al-Nusra terrorists /Qaeda/ is clear evidence of the Syrian state’s respect of the international humanitarian law on contrary to what some parties are trying to promote in front of the UNSC.

3-Putin has arrived in AnkaraPutin

Russian President Vladimir Putin has arrived in Ankara to take part in a trilateral summit on Syria.Putin’s aide Yuri Ushakov said earlier the three presidents, Vladimir Putin of Russia, Hassan Rouhani of Iran and Recep Tayyip Erdigan of Turkey, would discuss the situation in Idlib and in northeastern Syria, the humanitarian situation, restoration of vital infrastructure facilities, and the pace of political process in that country. The summit will be preceded by Putin’s bilateral meetings with his Iranian and Turkish counterparts.Putin’s press secretary Dmitry Peskov did not rule out that the topic of the recent attacks on Saudi Aramco’s facilities would also be raised at the summit.The talks are expected to yield a joint statement.

4-Erdogan and Rouhani met in advance of the summitRouhani was met by Erdogan

The Turkish president on Monday met his Iranian counterpart in the capital Ankara, ahead of the trilateral summit on Syria later in the day.President Recep Tayyip Erdogan received his Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani at the presidential mansion and held a closed-door meeting that lasted almost two hours.Erdogan is expected to meet Russia’s President Vladimir Putin later in the day. The leaders of Turkey, Russia and Iran will hold the fifth trilateral summit on Syria in Astana format, in which they will discuss regional and global developments with a special focus on Syrian crisis.

5-‘Iran, Russia, Turkey on Verge of Reaching Final Deal on Syria’

"Speaking in a press briefing in Tehran on Monday, Mousavi expressed the hope that the Monday talks between President Hassan Rouhani of Iran, Vladimir Putin of Russia, and Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey would yield a result that serves the Syrian people’s interests.“We are on the verge of reaching a good deal on restoration of peace to Syria,” he said, adding that the fight against terrorism will continue until full eradication of the phenomenon.While moving towards de-escalation and easing of tensions in the region, Iran, Russia, and Turkey will respect the sovereignty of Syria, Mousavi noted”

I’d expect and have stated for a long time now that Iran, Russia and Turkey will respect Syrian sovereignty much more then Usrael/Kurds haveFrom yesterday evening (updated with a new map and additional information):