Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu hosted on Tuesday four-way talks aimed at normalizing relations between Ankara and Damascus after they were severed with the start of the conflict in Syria in 2011.

The Russian Defense Ministry said, "Practical steps were discussed in the field of strengthening security in the Syrian Arab Republic and normalizing Syrian-Turkish relations."

Moscow stressed the importance of confronting "the fight against all extremist groups in Syria."

Shoigu, who hosted his counterparts in Syria, Turkey and Iran, also held bilateral talks.
The Kremlin continues its efforts to normalize relations between Damascus and Ankara.

If successful, the Kremlin's mediation would give Russian President Vladimir Putin important diplomatic leverage in light of Moscow's isolation on the international stage due to its invasion of Ukraine.

In a statement about the quadripartite talks, the Turkish Ministry of Defense referred to the "constructive atmosphere" of the meeting, during which the parties discussed "the issue of intensifying efforts to return Syrian refugees to their lands."

The Turkish ministry added that all participants "reaffirmed their respect for Syria's territorial integrity."

In Damascus, the Ministry of Defense said in a statement published by Syrian media that "the quartet meeting of" defense ministers "discussed" the issue of the withdrawal of Turkish forces from Syrian territory.
A friendly relationship prevailed between the Turkish and Syrian presidents in the first decade of the third millennium, after years of tensions between their two countries.
However, the war in Syria, which left about 500,000 people dead and millions displaced, strained relations again between Damascus and Ankara, which supported factions opposed to President Bashar al-Assad.
Russia, with its direct military intervention since 2015, played the most prominent role in tipping the scales in favor of the Syrian regime forces, after it lost large areas during the first years of the war.