Turkey's Defence Ministry said “constructive” talks were held on Tuesday with representatives from Russia, Iran and Syria, as Damascus seeks to step out of its decade-long isolation.
Turkish Defence Minister Hulusi Akar met his Russian counterpart Sergey Shoigu, Iranian Defence Minister Mohammed Reza Ashtiani and Syrian Defence Minister Ali Mahmoud Abbas in Moscow.
The four ministers discussed “strengthening the security situation in Syria” and concrete steps to be taken to normalise relations between Turkey and Syria, a readout from Ankara said.
The “constructive” talks emphasised the need for further meetings between the four nations “in order to ensure and maintain stability in Syria and the region as a whole”, Mr Akar said.
There was no immediate comment from Moscow or Tehran.
Damascus later released a statement saying the ministers discussed the withdrawal of Turkish troops from Syria and enacting an agreement on the M4 motorway, which intersects territory held by Damascus, Turkish-backed forces in the north-west and Kurdish-led Syrian forces.
Turkey and Syria severed ties in 2011 following Damascus‘s crackdown on protesters. The country was soon after plunged into civil war.
Ankara has for several years occupied large parts of northern Syria, along with allied militias, saying it is needed to counter US-backed Kurdish groups that Turkey accuses of terrorism.
On Monday, Mr Akar said the aim of the talks was to “bring peace to the region as soon as possible”.
Saudi Arabia is among the regional powers looking to bring Damascus back into the diplomatic fold.
Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan visited Syria earlier this month in the first such trip since before the civil war began in 2011, while ministers from other Gulf Co-operation Council countries have also met to discuss its potential return to the Arab League.
Tunisia has also said it will reappoint an ambassador to Damascus after severing relations in 2012.
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World record transfers
1. Kylian Mbappe - to Real Madrid in 2017/18 - €180 million (Dh770.4m - if a deal goes through)
2. Paul Pogba - to Manchester United in 2016/17 - €105m
3. Gareth Bale - to Real Madrid in 2013/14 - €101m
4. Cristiano Ronaldo - to Real Madrid in 2009/10 - €94m
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9. Angel di Maria - to Manchester United in 2014/15 - €75m
10. James Rodriguez - to Real Madrid in 2014/15 - €75m
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
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The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
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Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
