The Autonomous Administration of Northern and Eastern Syria issued a written statement on the 14th Astana meeting.

 

The statement said: "At a time when the impasse of the Syrian crisis deepened on 11 and 12 December the so-called guarantor countries Russia, attended the 14th Astana meeting with the Syrian government, the so-called Syrian opposition, Iran and Turkey.

 

The previous meetings in Astana, Geneva and Sochi ended similarly and did not serve the interests of the Syrian people. In addition, threats and dangers to Syria, especially by the occupying Turkish state and terrorists, which should be the real agenda, were not discussed in this meeting.

 

However, hostility towards the Syrians and a rhetoric opposed to the efforts of the Syrian people to create solutions were shown. In addition, the resistance of our people against the invading Turkish state and terrorists has been clearly ignored.

Should an attitude serving for the unity of the Syrian people have emerged in such meetings, the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria would have supported these efforts with practical steps. In addition to this, as Autonomous Administration, we have worked for the establishment of dialogue which would serve the Syrian people in line with our national duty."

 

The statement continued: "The aim of the Turkish state is to take part in these meetings while at the same time it is killing our people in the areas it occupied in Syria, to legitimize their actions and to create a political atmosphere in order to realize their plans in Syria.

 

For this reason, the role of Russia in the Astana meetings should be one ensuring that these meetings become a table where positive work is undertaken, and not converted into attack table on Syria's national projects and institutions."