German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and French President Emmanuel Macron (from L to R) pose for a photo during the four-way summit on Syria in Istanbul, Turkey, on Oct. 27, 2018. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday said the four-way summit ended with a call for a full-scale cease-fire to halt the bloodshed in Syria. (Xinhua/Anadolu Agency)
ISTANBUL, Oct. 27 (Xinhua) -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday said the four-way summit ended with a call for a full-scale cease-fire to halt the bloodshed in Syria.
"We had a fruitful and sincere consultation during the summit," Erdogan said at the joint press conference following the quadrilateral summit in Istanbul.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, and French President Emmanuel Macron joined the summit hosted by Erdogan to discuss the ways for a long lasting political solution for Syria.
Erdogan noted that the leaders called for the completion of the constitution committee's process in Syria as soon as possible.
Syrian constitutional committee will be functional by the end of the year, Putin noted.
The leaders in their joint statement also reaffirmed their strongest opposition to the use of chemical weapons by any party in Syria.
Macron said for his part that the use of chemical weapons both in the region and other parts of the world is unacceptable regardless of the users.
He also noted that an attack conducted by the Syrian government in Idlib would be unacceptable, as it will enhance risks for terrorists to flee and spread and create a new influx of refugees.
Merkel underlined the necessity of initiating a political process which aims for a free and fair election in Syria that is open to all Syrians, including the diaspora.
"We committed ourselves to doing everything to achieve a sustainable, permanent cease-fire in Idlib," Merkel said.
