If US, Jordan 'Really Interested in Syria They Should Join Astana Peace Talks'

Another round of Syrian reconciliation talks has wrapped up in Astana; the US and Jordan participated as observers. Sputnik Turkiye discussed it with Turkish political analyst Oktay Aksoy, who said that if these two countries are really interested in Syria's territorial integrity, they should join negotiations as full-fledged parties to the deal.

The real state of affairs in Syria requires that these two countires join the negotiations and cooperate more closely with other participants, Oktay Aksoy, the head of the Directorate for International Programs of the Institute of Foreign Policy in Ankara and former ambassador of Turkey to Sweden and Finland, told Sputnik Turkiye.

If Washington and Amman are really interested in preserving the territorial integrity and the national unity of Syria, they should join subsequent rounds of negotiations and contribute to the set-up of the fourth de-escalation zone in Syria, he added.

"The problem with Jordan is that it is incapable of pursuing any independent policy towards Syria. It has become only too clear and the pressure on Amman from the US and other Western states has recently intensified. For example, Germany is transferring its units from Turkey's Incirlik air base to Jordan. In such conditions, we can't expect any independent foreign policy from this country," Oktay Aksoy said.

On the other hand, he elaborated, the Middle Eastern plans of the US are not transparent. Their operations in the region seem to be unstable and inconsistent. In his foreign affairs, Trump is behaving as if he is not ruling a state but rather some commercial enterprise. Therefore at times, it is very hard to forecast, in which direction the US will line up its foreign policy.

Meanwhile, the Astana peace talks are very important for Syria and the Americans should have joined the process long ago and fully cooperated with other participants. It would have been a great contribution to Syria's future. However, the US remains only an observer at this point.

Probable the recent meeting between Presidents Putin and Trump will force the US leader to reconsider his Middle Eastern policy. This will benefit not only the participants of the Astana talks but the region as a whole, the former diplomat said.

"If the US is interested in preserving the territorial integrity and national unity of Syria not in word but in fact, it should join further rounds of the talks in the full-fledged format and together with Jordan contribute to the setup of the fourth de-escalation zone in the south of Syria," he said.

Oktay Aksoy added that it is also in the interests of Amman. He hopes that Jordanians will find the will to abandon their current Syrian policy, which has been imposed from abroad, and will also join the Astana process, he finally concluded.