Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan believes that the Geneva process on the Syrian settlement has failed.

Axar.az reports citing Hurriyet Daily News.

"The talks in Astana supplemented the Geneva process, which is being held under UN auspices. We do not consider Astana as an alternative to Geneva, though the Geneva process has failed, we have to admit that," the Turkish leader was quoted as saying after the trilateral summit on Syria in Sochi.

"With the help of the Astana process we are doing what the Persian Gulf countries and UN have failed to do in Geneva, I would like to point that out," he said.

The civil war began in Syria after a mass anti-government unrest was quashed in March 2011. The opposition demanded holding democratic reforms and Assad’s resignation. The authorities tried to bring order to the country through force and prevent a large-scale revolt, but the political and military support of the opposition from abroad facilitated the conflict’s escalation. The armed stand-off has lasted for almost eight years already.