Moscow to Host Syria, Türkiye, Iran, Russia Meeting

Smoke rises from the Syrian town of Tal Abyad, in a picture taken from the Turkish side of the border where the Turkish flag is seen near Akcakale, Oct. 10, 2019. (AFP)
Smoke rises from the Syrian town of Tal Abyad, in a picture taken from the Turkish side of the border where the Turkish flag is seen near Akcakale, Oct. 10, 2019. (AFP)
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Moscow to Host Syria, Türkiye, Iran, Russia Meeting

Smoke rises from the Syrian town of Tal Abyad, in a picture taken from the Turkish side of the border where the Turkish flag is seen near Akcakale, Oct. 10, 2019. (AFP)
Smoke rises from the Syrian town of Tal Abyad, in a picture taken from the Turkish side of the border where the Turkish flag is seen near Akcakale, Oct. 10, 2019. (AFP)

The deputy foreign ministers of Syria, Türkiye, Iran and Russia will meet in April in Moscow, Turkish and Iranian officials said on Tuesday, building on contacts between Ankara and Damascus after years of hostilities during the Syrian war.

Encouraged by President Bashar al-Assad's ally Russia, Syrian and Turkish officials held meetings last year, in a move towards normalizing ties between states on opposing sides of Syria's 12-year-long conflict.

But Assad this month ruled out any meeting with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan until Türkiye is ready to withdraw its military from northern Syria, deemed occupying forces by the Syrian president.

The situation on the ground in Syria would be discussed at the April 3-4 in Moscow, a senior Turkish official said.

"This meeting is expected to be a continuation of the ministerial-level meetings that began during the normalization process," the official said.

"However, since there will be no ministerial-level participation and the meeting will be at a technical level, significant decisions are not expected."

Officials at the Turkish foreign ministry were not immediately available for comment.

Russia hosted a meeting of the Syrian and Turkish defense ministers in December, since when the original tripartite talks have been widened to include Assad’s other ally Iran, which has publicly supported the rapprochement.

Türkiye has sent forces into much of northern Syria during the war and has backed the Syrian opposition.

A previously planned meeting of four countries' deputy foreign ministers scheduled in March was postponed.

A senior Iranian foreign ministry official confirmed the meeting in Moscow in the first week of April.

A Syrian source with knowledge of the talks confirmed that a meeting between the deputy foreign ministers would take place soon but did not specify a date.

Citing Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov, Russian state-owned news agency RIA reported on Monday that the deputy foreign ministers of Russia, Türkiye, Iran and Syria may hold consultations in Moscow in early April.

Erdogan, who once called Assad a terrorist, is facing the biggest political challenge of his two-decade rule in May when Turks vote in what is expected to be a tight election.



France Says Algeria Threatening to Expel Diplomatic Staff 

This handout photograph released by French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs (MEAE) shows France's Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot meeting with Algeria's Foreign Minister at the ministry headquarters in Algiers on April 6, 2025. (AFP Photo / Handout / Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs)
This handout photograph released by French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs (MEAE) shows France's Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot meeting with Algeria's Foreign Minister at the ministry headquarters in Algiers on April 6, 2025. (AFP Photo / Handout / Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs)
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France Says Algeria Threatening to Expel Diplomatic Staff 

This handout photograph released by French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs (MEAE) shows France's Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot meeting with Algeria's Foreign Minister at the ministry headquarters in Algiers on April 6, 2025. (AFP Photo / Handout / Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs)
This handout photograph released by French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs (MEAE) shows France's Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot meeting with Algeria's Foreign Minister at the ministry headquarters in Algiers on April 6, 2025. (AFP Photo / Handout / Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs)

France said on Monday that Algeria had threatened to expel 12 of its diplomatic staff and that it would take immediate reprisals should that occur in the latest flare-up between them.

Algeria protested over the weekend against Frances's detention of an Algerian consular agent suspected of involvement in the kidnapping of an Algerian. French media said three people, including the diplomat, were under investigation over the seizure of Algerian government opponent Amir Boukhors.

"The Algerian authorities are demanding that 12 of our agents leave Algerian territory within 48 hours," French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said in a statement.

"If the decision to expel our agents is maintained, we will have no choice but to respond immediately."

There was no immediate confirmation from Algeria of an imminent expulsion.

France's relations with its former colony have long been complicated, but took a turn for the worse last year when French President Emmanuel Macron angered Algeria by backing Morocco's position over the disputed Western Sahara region.

Only last week, Barrot had said ties were returning to normal after a visit to Algeria.