Sputnik - Trilateral consultations between Russia, Iran and Turkey indicate that within the next few months, the countries will be able to further expand mutual cooperation on a number of pressing issues, Farzad Ramazani Bonesh, an independent Iranian expert on the Middle East, told Sputnik Iran.




Bonesh specifically pointed to�the normalization of�relations between�Russia and Turkey last year and Ankara's readiness to�bolster its ties with�Iran, something that he said added significantly to "progress in�the development of�full-fledged trilateral cooperation."
"First and foremost, the parties will cooperate on�the Syrian crisis. Several rounds of�negotiations on�Syria in�Astana, the creation of�a tripartite committee and the sides' willingness to�expand military cooperation became an important step in�the development of�trilateral relations," he said.


Bonesh noted that Turkey's interests on�several issues, including those related to�North Caucasus, Central Asia, Iraq and Syria, differ in�some aspects from�the interests of�Iran and Russia.
"Nevertheless, the sides continue trilateral consultations in�a sign that they are ready to�expand cooperation on�a whole array of�issues related to�security and geopolitics," he pointed out.


In this regard, he drew attention to�the fact that "since�Donald Trump�came to�power in�the US, Moscow's relations with�the United States have faced new challenges and problems rather than�showed signs of�the improvement."

"There were also tensions in�US-Turkish relations despite�the fact that both countries maintain military cooperation within�NATO. This has forced Turkey to�reorient itself to�cooperation with�Iran and Russia and to�intensify the dialogue with�these two countries on�various strategic issues," according to�Bonesh.
"Additionally, it is worth mentioning aggravation of�ties between�Iran and the US against�the backdrop of�US President Trump's aggressive rhetoric. All this led to�the creation of�a trilateral cooperation between�Iran, Russia and Turkey as�the most effective model for�resolving the Syrian crisis. It can also be used to�solve other issues," he said.


Bonesh warned that the US and its Middle Eastern allies will do their best to�undermine the process of�integration between�Iran, Russia and Turkey even though "in case of�improved relations between�Turkey and the United States, Ankara's interest in�cooperation with�Iran and Russia will decrease."
"With their undisguised interest in�northern Syria, Americans continue to�directly and indirectly support�the Syrian Democratic Forces, the red line that makes Turkey unite with�other [international] players. Turkey knows that Washington does not take into�account its interests in�Syria," he concluded.


The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) is a coalition of�US-backed militants with�the stated goal of�creating a secular, democratic and federalized Syria.

The SDF is mostly composed of, and militarily led by, the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG), which Turkey considers a terrorist group affiliated with�the Kurdistan Workers' Party�(PKK), which operates within�neighboring Turkey.

In May, US President Donald Trump approved of�providing Kurdish militiamen in�Syria with�heavy armaments, including mortars and machine guns.

Earlier this month, Turkish Deputy Prime Minister�Bekir Bozdag said�that charges brought against�guards of�Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan by�the US authorities have seriously damaged Washington-Ankara relations.

In late August, the US government brought charges against�19 people, including 15 officers of�the Turkish security services, for�attacking participants at�a protest rally during�Erdogan's visit to�Washington in�May.

Commenting on�Washington's reaction to�the Ankara-Moscow deal on�the S-400 systems' supplies,�President� Erdogan, for�his part, said that this deal "made the United States furious."