Ethical Issues and Controversies in the Astana Process

The Astana process, initiated by Russia and co-sponsored by Turkey and Iran, emerged in 2017 as a parallel track to UN-led peace talks in Syria. While it achieved some tangible results in ceasefire and de-escalation, the document argues that it has been heavily instrumentalized by its sponsors to serve their own geopolitical interests. This has led to significant deficits in representation, as participants were selected based on political preferences rather than inclusivity, and a lack of Syrian ownership, effectively transforming the Syrian crisis into a negotiation among three external 'guarantor powers'.

• The Astana process functioned as a parallel diplomatic track to the UN-led Geneva talks, starting with a limited focus on ceasefires and de-escalation before expanding into political and constitutional objectives.
• The process is characterized as a 'sponsored negotiation' dominated by Russia, Turkey, and Iran, which has shifted the focus from the Syrian opposition's goal of removing President Bashar al-Assad to a consultation among armed groups backed by these three powers.
• Representation in the Astana process was selective and based on the political preferences of the sponsors; for example, Turkey supported specific rebel groups while convincing Russia to exclude the Kurdish-dominated Syrian Democratic Forces.
• The process suffered from a severe lack of inclusivity regarding domestic Syrian society, specifically excluding women, youth, and civil society organizations.
• The document argues that the Astana process lacks Syrian ownership and instead serves as a tool for the sponsors to manage their own spheres of influence and legitimize foreign intervention.
• Rather than restoring territorial unity, the process has reinforced externally controlled zones, such as the buffer zone in Idlib created through bilateral agreements between Russia and Turkey that bypassed other actors.

APA

Tziarras, Z. (n.d.). Ethical Issues and Controversies in the Astana Process. Peace Research Institute Oslo. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/9a0008d3-49cd-4070-9a29-32c347621b4a/Tziarras - Ethical Issues and Controversies in the Astana Process Questioning Representation and Ownership - FAIR Case Brief 4.pdf?inline=true

Chicago

Tziarras, Zenonas. Ethical Issues and Controversies in the Astana Process. Peace Research Institute Oslo, n.d. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/9a0008d3-49cd-4070-9a29-32c347621b4a/Tziarras - Ethical Issues and Controversies in the Astana Process Questioning Representation and Ownership - FAIR Case Brief 4.pdf?inline=true.

Wikipedia

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BibTeX

@techreport{tziarrasndethical, author = {Tziarras, Zenonas}, title = {{Ethical Issues and Controversies in the Astana Process}}, institution = {Peace Research Institute Oslo}, url = {https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/9a0008d3-49cd-4070-9a29-32c347621b4a/Tziarras - Ethical Issues and Controversies in the Astana Process Questioning Representation and Ownership - FAIR Case Brief 4.pdf?inline=true}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }