Zarif in Turkey for Syria Talks

Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif arrived in Ankara on Wednesday for talks with Turkish leaders, including his counterpart, Mevlut Cavusoglu. Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qasemi said the trip is part of regular contacts between the two sides to follow up on regional issues, especially the crisis in Syria, IRNA reported. The trip is indicative of efforts by the two neighbors to help strengthen a ceasefire in Syria where a six-year civil war has killed an estimated half a million people. Iran, Russia, and Turkey agreed in a memorandum signed on May 4 to establish four separate de-escalation zones in Syria for at least six months. The agreement envisages halt in hostilities between Syrian government forces and armed opposition groups within the zones and the creation of conditions for humanitarian access, medical assistance, the return of displaced civilians to their homes and starting the reconstruction process.