Turkey's Erdoğan: Lasting solution to Syria conflict are our priority

Protecting the political unity and territorial integrity of Syria is a priority, the Turkish president said Wednesday.

"Maintaining the political unity and territorial integrity of Syria, the establishment of calm on the ground and a lasting solution to the conflict are our priority," Recep Tayyip Erdoğan told a Turkey-Russia-Iran summit under the Astana process via video conference.

"The trilateral summit process under the Astana format that we initiated in November 2017 has made critical contributions to the establishment of peace, security and stability in Syria," Erdoğan said, adding that today's meeting is the sixth one under the format.

"Turkey has been standing with our Syrian brothers and sisters since the start of the conflict," he said, adding that the country has welcomed millions of Syrians without discrimination since start of the civil war in 2011.

Turkey hosts some 4 million Syrian refugees, more than any other country in the world.

Erdoğan added that Turkey has also stepped in with troops to prevent humanitarian crises and frustrate separatists, referring to a trio of operations launched since 2016 to fight terrorists and provide security in northern Syria, just south of Turkey's border.

"We'll continue to do our best to provide peace, security, and stability in our neighbor Syria," he said.

"The cooperation we will show as Astana guarantors will, no doubt, determine the future of this country," he added.

The trilateral meeting was held with the attendance of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.

From the Turkish side, Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu and National Defense Minister Hulusi Akar were also present at the meeting.