Written by Simon Lewis (JO:) and Suleiman Al Khalidi
Aqaba, Jordan (Reuters) – Top diplomats from the United States, Turkey, the European Union and Arab countries agreed that Syria’s new government should respect minority rights, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said. The chief made contact with the rebels who ousted President Bashar al-Assad on Saturday after talks in Jordan.
The talks come as regional and global powers vie for influence over the government that will replace President Assad, who was forced to flee a week ago.
Blinken told a news conference that the groups had agreed to a joint statement calling for an inclusive and representative government that respects the rights of minorities and does not provide a “base for terrorist groups.”
“Today’s agreement sends a unified message to Syria’s new transitional authority and stakeholders about the principles that are critical to securing much-needed support and recognition,” Blinken said.
Blinken also said that U.S. officials are currently in “direct contact” with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and are encouraging them to assist in the search for Austin Tice, a U.S. journalist who was captured in Syria in 2012. and other rebel groups. He added that he had shared with his Syrian counterparts what they wanted to see from the country’s transition.
Syria’s neighbor Jordan was hosting Saturday’s rally in Aqaba. Russia and Iran, President Assad’s main supporters, were not invited.
Blinken, UN Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pederson, Kaja Karas, EU Foreign Policy Chief Fidan, and the foreign ministers of Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Lebanon, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Qatar, gathered around the Jordanian government’s round table. We had a meeting at guest house. There was no representative from Syria at the table.
Earlier, Arab diplomats met separately and issued a statement calling for a peaceful and inclusive political transition leading to elections and a new constitution.
Arab diplomats who attended the talks told Reuters they wanted guarantees that Turkey would support it and prevent the partition of Syria along sectarian lines.
Türkiye and the United States are both NATO members and have conflicting interests when it comes to some rebel groups. Turkish-backed rebels have clashed with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in northern Syria.
The SDF, which controls some of Syria’s largest oil fields, is a key ally of the US coalition against Islamic State militants. The group is spearheaded by the YPG militia, a group seen by the Turkish government as an extension of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) militants, who have fought the Turkish state for 40 years.
During a visit to Ankara on Thursday and Friday, Mr. Blinken told Turkish officials that the Islamic State group must not regroup and that the SDF is in a camp housing IS fighters, according to U.S. officials. He said they must not be distracted from their role in ensuring that Turkish leaders also agreed, according to a source in the U.S. delegation.
Fidan told Turkish TV late on Friday that eliminating the YPG was Turkey’s “strategic goal” and urged the group’s commanders to withdraw from Syria.
