Amid Turkey's intensified diplomatic traffic with Russia and Iran, a cease-fire was established in Aleppo to allow the evacuation of civilians, Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu stressed the necessity of an immediate political transition in Syria for permanent peace yesterday in Ankara. Despite disruptions caused by the Iran-backed militia and regime forces opening fire on the convoys transferring civilians from eastern Aleppo to opposition-held Idlib, the foreign minister stated: "The evacuations are not over as of now. There is still a great number of civilians wanting to leave there," dismissing a statement by the Russian monitoring committee in Syria.With the escalation of aggression in Aleppo on Monday when Assad regime forces advanced into eastern parts of the city held by the moderate opposition following a five-month siege and persistent aerial bombardment, a cease-fire agreement was reached allowing the evacuation of civilians from the city. Providing information on the latest developments in the region, Foreign Minister Çavuşoğlu reiterated the necessity for political resolution as he described it as "the best option" during a press conference held in Ankara."Turkey, since the very beginning, has underlined the need for peace, a cease-fire and a political solution in Syria. A political solution in Syria is the best solution… Syria needs an immediate political transition now and the parameters for this are the Geneva declaration and the U.N. General Council decision," he added.While underlining that the decisions taken from the multi-dimensional meetings on Syria have always been violated, Çavuşoğlu said that Turkey had high-level bilateral talks with "the two important actors in Syria, Iran and Russia," toward a permanent resolution. Emphasizing that the current cease-fire agreement was reached with the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan following "high-traffic dialogue," Çavuşoğlu said that there will be an Islamic Cooperation Organization Executive Committee meeting in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, regarding the Syrian crisis on Dec. 22, as he said that the foreign ministers of Turkey, Russia and Iran will meet on Dec. 27 in Moscow.In regards to the recent suspension of the evacuation of civilians and opposition fighters from east Aleppo due to pro-regime Iran-backed militias reportedly opening fire on the evacuation convoy and taking 800 hostages after attacking the convoy, Çavuşoğlu stated that he is holding talks with his Iranian counterpart to overcome the interruption of the operation. After the foreign minister held talks with his Iranian counterpart 10 times over the last few days, he stressed that there is intense "shuttle diplomacy" from the Turkish side to help eliminate obstacles ahead of the evacuation. He also discussed Iran's significant role toward a permanent solution for Syria and said: "Whether positive or negative, Iran is an important factor here. We have always stated that the constructive role of both Iran and Russia is highly significant for a permanent solution in Syria, and no one can deny that. However, that role must be constructive and be in favor of peace." Underlining that the evacuation process is to continue, he said all efforts to establish a camp for civilians escaping Aleppo are finalized and that wounded children will immediately be taken to Turkey for treatment. He said that those evacuated would be placed in opposition-held regions in Syria, while moderate opposition forces will go to Idlib.Turkey's intense diplomacy traffic results in Astana peace talksCommenting on the Astana peace talks, Çavuşoğlu told members of the media that Kazakhstan would not participate in the peace talks as a mediator. "Following phone calls made between the Turkish and Russian presidents, Putin suggested that it would be beneficial for representatives of the Syrian moderate opposition and the Assad regime to meet in a third country following the establishment of a cease-fire. … If they decide to go forward with a political resolution then the official talks can be held in Geneva, and we do not have anything against this," he said. While noting that the Astana talks are not an alternative to Geneva talks, Çavuşoğlu emphasized the necessity for real opposition representatives being present at the talks. "For the talks to give results, there must be a cease-fire. A cease-fire throughout Syria is a must," he added.