Turkey, Russia, Iran to meet today

The leaders of Turkey, Russia and Iran meet today to try to secure a lasting truce in northwest Syria following attacks by the government that risk deepening regional turmoil and pushing a new wave of migrants towards Turkey.

The summit in Ankara, bringing together countries whose Syrian allies are combatants in a ruinous eight-year-old war, will focus on the Idlib region, the last remaining territory held by rebels seeking to overthrow President Assad. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iran’s Rouhani have backed Assad against rebels. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, along with US, European and Arab allies, has supported different rebel factions in the conflict.