Vladimir Putin of Russia, Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey, Emmanuel Macron of France, and Angela Merkel of Germany met in Istanbul to review developments in Syria. They reaffirmed their commitment to a negotiated political process as the only way of ending the Syrian conflict. In a joint communique, the leaders highlighted the need to create conditions throughout Syria for the safe and voluntary return of refugees. The four noted that the political process must be inclusive, Syrian-led and Syrian-owned, and stressed the UN's role as facilitator. They reiterated their strongest opposition to the use of chemical weapons by any party in Syria, and called for strict compliance with all relevant conventions.