In a further sign that Turkey, Russia and the United States are seeking common ground in Syria, Turkey's Chief of General Staff Hulusi Akar met with his American and Russian counterparts in the southern Mediterranean resort of Antalya today.

Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim described the tripartite talks as an attempt to coordinate their moves in Syria so as to avoid accidental clashes between their respective forces as they pursue the Islamic State (IS) and other terrorist outfits from the ground and the sky.

“Very sound coordination is needed to free Syria of all terrorist groups. If this coordination is not secured, the risk of conflict that is most undesirable may arise,” Yildirim warned.

Speaking at a joint news conference with visiting Jordanian Prime Minister Hani al-Mulki, Yildirim named al-Qaeda-linked Jabhat al-Nusra among the terrorist groups that needed to be pursued. This suggests that Turkey may be willing to leverage its border with Idlib province where Jabhat al-Nusra is the pre-eminent force in order to help US and Russian efforts to weaken and ultimately destroy the group. Turkish-backed Ahrar al-Sham — which is counted alongside Jabhat al-Nusra as the strongest mainly Sunni Arab militia in Syria, and with supply lines from Turkey — has been clashing with its al-Qaeda-linked rivals in recent weeks.