Turkey launches Syria-Hezbollah and Syria-Iran mediation

Turkey is mediating between Syria and Hezbollah on the one hand and between Syria and Iran on the other, which reflects Ankara's attempt to control the dynamics of a delicate regional phase characterized by rapidly shifting balances, a media report said.

A well-informed source told the Nidaa al-Watan newspaper that Turkey has succeeded in recent weeks in bringing together a high-ranking official from the new Syrian regime and a prominent Hezbollah official in meetings held repeatedly behind the scenes. Ankara has also hosted high-ranking officials from Syria and Iran.

The source added that the results of these meetings appear to be positive, as they addressed “highly sensitive issues.”

“The focus was on restructuring the relationship between Damascus and both Tehran and Hezbollah, in an attempt to readjust it in a way that serves the interests of all three parties and prevents any disruption to the understandings currently being established,” the source said.

The Turkish role is not coordinated with the Arab world.

However, the main obstacle hindering this process, according to the source, lies in the fact that these meetings are being held without any coordination or agreement with key Arab states, with the exception of Qatar, which “seems to be aware of the details and is providing some facilitation for the meetings to take place.”