This is a first for more than ten years.
On Wednesday in Moscow, the Turkish and Syrian defense ministers met during a meeting with their Russian counterpart, for the first time since the start of the war in Syria in 2011.
Discussions between Russian Sergei Shoigu, Turkish Hulusi Akar and Syrian Ali Mahmoud Abbas focused on "ways to resolve the Syrian crisis and the refugee issue", as well as "joint efforts to fight extremist groups", said the Russian Defense Ministry.
Turkish Defense Ministry reports meeting held in 'positive atmosphere'
The meeting between the two ministers comes as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been threatening for several weeks to launch a military offensive in northern Syria against Kurdish groups.
Turkey shifts its stance on Syria
The war in Syria, which began with anti-government protests before escalating into a complex conflict involving several international actors, has considerably strained relations between Ankara and Damascus.
Fiercely opposed to the regime of Bashar al-Assad since the beginning of the conflict in 2011, Ankara has indeed posed as unwavering support for Syrian rebel groups and welcomes on its soil nearly four million Syrian refugees.
But Turkey, whose troops are already present in Syrian territory, south of its border, has in recent months changed its position with regard to Damascus, at a time when Ankara seeks to appease its relations with the Arab countries.
Erdogan, who has repeatedly called Bashar al-Assad an "assassin" in recent years, thus mentioned last month a "possible" meeting with the latter.
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