The United Nations' special envoy to Syria, Staffan de Mistura, began talks in Geneva today with officials from Turkey, Russia and Iran to discuss the establishment of a constitutional committee for Syria, part of a Moscow-led effort to include opposition groups in a negotiated solution to the seven-year Syrian conflict. The talks are expected to last two days. De Mistura is due to meet with envoys from Egypt, France, Germany, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom and the United States on Friday.

The UN official said the aim is to set up a Syrian-led and Syrian-owned constitutional drafting body, paving the way for new elections.

Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday, “Establishing and making this committee — which is on the agenda thanks to the Astana process — will bring a new dynamism to the political process.”

Turkey, Russia and Iran are the co-sponsors of the Astana process to deconflict the rebels and Syrian regime forces that the trio insists is meant to bolster, not compete with, stalled UN-sponsored peace talks in Geneva to end the war. As the International Crisis Group noted in a recent report, “Without participation by a minimally credible opposition, Russia will struggle to deliver a political resolution with even a veneer of inclusion and consensual legitimacy.” Turkey’s influence over the opposition is seen as key in this regard.