Officials have confirmed that the foreign ministers of Syria and Turkey will hold their first official meeting in Moscow on Wednesday since the Syrian civil war began over a decade ago. The meeting, which will also involve the top diplomats of Russia and Iran, has provided a diplomatic boost to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who faces a challenging general election on Sunday. Erdogan previously supported early rebel efforts to overthrow Syrian President Bashar Assad and maintained a military presence in northern parts of the war-torn country, which angered Damascus. However, he changed course after Turkey experienced an economic crisis two years ago and has sought to reconcile with former regional rivals, including a potential presidential summit with Assad. Despite Syria's insistence that Turkey withdraw its troops before any reconciliation, the move is supported by Erdogan's opponents and plays a crucial role in Turkey's election campaign. Erdogan has also promised to speed up the repatriation of almost four million Syrian refugees and migrants who sought refuge in Turkey to escape poverty and war, which he sees as dependent on an agreement with Damascus. The talks between the two sides have been mediated by Iran and Russia.