Syria peace talks in Astana may start on Jan.23 if truce observed: Turkish FM

    Syria peace talks in Astana would start on January 23 if the truce is properly observed, said Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu.
    Cavusoglu said Iran must put pressure on allied Shiite militias to abide by the truce that is to form the basis for a ceasefire.
    "If the truce is properly observed, the peace talks would start on January 23 in Kazakhstan's capital Astana under the auspices of Turkey and Russia," he said.
    "We will continue work over the political settlement [of the Syrian crisis]," the Turkish foreign minister told Anadolu news agency.
    Turkey and Russia brokered the ceasefire deal that has mostly held since last week. The deal saw a ceasefire begin late December and the main forces of the armed opposition sign a document expressing a readiness to start peace talks, as reported by AKIpress.