Deutsche Welle: Putin, Erdogan, Rouhani Hold Talks on Syria as Opposition Gathers in Riyadh

In advance of UN-backed peace talks for Syria, Russian President Vladimir Putin is meeting with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Sochi. The group claims the success against the Islamic State and foreign-backed opposition while giving little credit to Kurdish troops backed by the United States. “Turkey has been one of the main backers of the Syrian opposition, while Iranian and Russian support for the Syrian President Bashar Assad have turned the tide in the six year civil war in favor of the regime,” reports Deutsche Welle. “But as the Syrian regime has gained the upper hand on the battlefield, Turkey has shifted focus towards countering gains made by US-backed Kurdish forces, who after largely defeating IS now control 25 percent of Syrian territory.” The divided Syrian opposition is also meeting in Riyadh. Earlier talks led to four de-escalation zones, where fighting continues at lower scale. Israel and Saudi Arabia express concerns about Iranian influence in Syria. Bashar al Assad also met with Putin in Sochi, but his fate as Syria’s leader is unknown. – YaleGlobal