US envoy to Syria discusses Idlib ceasefire with Turkish officials

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — The US Special Envoy to Syria Joel Rayburn discussed tensions between the Syrian regime and rebels in Idlib province in his first visit to Ankara on Wednesday, according to Turkish media.

A delegation led by Rayburn, who took office after his predecessor James Jeffrey retired last month, was received by Turkey’s presidential spokesperson Ibrahim Kalin.

They discussed latest developments in Syria, including the fight against “terrorism” and the fragile ceasefire between the regime and Turkey-backed rebels in Idlib province, the pro-government Daily Sabah reported.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin announced a ceasefire between the Damascus regime – backed by Moscow – and Turkish-backed rebels in Idlib in March. The tension between both forces has decreased since then, but fighting continues.

Officials “met to discuss the situation in Syria and our efforts to achieve a lasting and peaceful resolution to the Syrian conflict,” the US Embassy in Syria – which has been closed since 2012 – tweeted on Wednesday evening.

“The only way forward is through a political solution in line with UNSCR 2254,” it added, referring to a 2015 resolution which calls for a peaceful end to the nine-year conflict.

US and Turkish officials also discussed the voluntary return of Syrian refugees as well as supporting the ongoing talks over drafting a new constitution for Syria, the Daily Sabah reported.

It is not clear whether both sides talked about Turkey’s recent bombardments of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in northeast Syria, especially in Ain Issa.

However, Kalin told the US delegation that “separatist” groups should be excluded from political talks, referring to Kurdish-led autonomous administration in northeast Syria.

He stressed that it is necessary to fight all “terrorist organizations,” the Daily Sabah added, naming the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) which is the backbone of the SDF.

The US delegation also met with Turkish deputy foreign minister Sedat Onal, discussing similar subjects, according to a tweet from the ministry.

“Turkey’s determination to fight against the PKK/YPG and other terrorist organizations posing threat to her national security was once again emphasized to the US side.”

Ankara regards the YPG as the Syrian offshoot of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) – an armed group which struggles for increased rights of Kurds in Turkey for decades, and is viewed by Turkey as a terror group.

Officials in northeast Syria have said that Layburn is familiar with the “Kurdish issue.”

“He has been involved in affairs related to the Kurdish issue for a long time, even when Brett McGurk was the US special envoy,” said Ibrahim Biro, a member of the foreign relations office of the opposition Kurdish National Council (ENKS).