Türkiye is focused on the fast-approaching presidential election set to be held on May 14, yet the election is not Ankara’s sole agenda. Diplomatic steps in anti-terror are also ongoing, with extensive efforts made behind the scenes.   For example, Tuesday National Defense Minister Hulusi Akar, and National Intelligence Organization (MIT) Chief Hakan Fidan were in Moscow. Four-way talks were held in the Russian capital for normalization with Syria. Türkiye, Russia, Iran, and Syria’s defense ministers and intelligence chiefs continued during the meeting to additionally negotiate subjects discussed in previous meetings.   Considering the statements made, the parties involved agree on the most important headline. All actors at the table are in consensus regarding the normalization of relations. However, they are yet to reach an agreement with respect to how this will be achieved because the two main matters continue to be on the negotiation table.     First, the Damascus regime continues to question Türkiye’s military presence in Syria. Meanwhile, Ankara thinks it is meaningless to question Turkish military presence while terrorist activity, as well as U.S., Russian, and Iranian military presence, are ongoing in northern Syria.   Türkiye will not and cannot withdraw from the area before ensuring complete border security, and neutralizing the terrorist weapons targeting itself in northern Syria.     Furthermore, Türkiye is the only country that attacks despite the U.S. and weakens the influence of the terrorist organization that has developed and thrived under the U.S. flag’s shadow. Iran and Russia have no such agenda. In other words, Turkish presence in the region is the sole guarantee for Syria’s territorial integrity. The Damascus regime must see this critical point – but it does not.     The return of Syrians in Türkiye to their country is the second most important matter. Ankara demands open guarantees from the Damascus regime concerning matters such as their return, granting them general amnesty, ensuring their safety and fundamental human rights, and establishing of an economic system that will enable their survival. The Damascus regime is yet to provide a satisfying response in this regard.   Negotiations regarding these two matters, among others will continue in the following meetings as well. This is a long path that will take time to make progress.   Let’s close this chapter and open the Mazloum Abdi chapter.     As known, a critical operation was organized in recent weeks in Sulaymaniyah. An unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) attack was conducted on a convoy carrying the Kurdistan Workers’ Party’s Syrian wing, Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) ring leader, terrorist Ferhat Abdi Şahin, better known by his nom de guerre Mazloum Abdi. The terrorist was accompanied by U.S. troops. See my previous columns for details about what terrorist Mazloum Abdi is doing in Sulaymaniyah, and behind-the-scenes information about the line the U.S. built between Talabani and the PKK. Let's look at what happened along the Ankara-Washington line following this event. Americans are disturbed about the close watch on PKK terrorist Şahin. This is obvious from the public statements, and the talks behind the curtains.   You must have noticed the statements from Washington. Some senators, who are known particularly for their opposition to Türkiye, reacted to this operation – which was attributed to Türkiye – and called on for investigations. They associated their reaction to the life safety of U.S. troops. But the detail they leave out is that an “accredited terrorist,” who was in the same picture with top-level U.S. officials, was at gunpoint. It seems they did not expect this. They are stunned.   In addition, there are meetings on the matter that have not been publicly revealed. It is said in diplomacy halls that Washington and Ankara are holding high-tension talks.     Accordingly, following the operation targeting Şahin, Ankara received two phone calls from interlocutors in Washington. One call to the fortress, to Hakan Fidan, and the other to the presidential complex, to the Presidential Spokesperson İbrahim Kalın.   National Security Advisor of the United States Jake Sullivan, who called Kalın, said the warning fire endangered the lives of U.S. troops, that this is unacceptable, and requested further coordination. Kalın’s response to Sullivan was clear. His response to Sullivan was, “Even if it is under the American flag, terrorism is an open target for us.”   Finally, Şahin was not in Sulaymaniyah to fight Daesh. It is claimed that terrorist Şahin held a meeting there with Duran Kalkan, one of the ring leaders in Qandil. It is said they are planning terrorist attacks on Türkiye after the May 14 election. Does the U.S. have an explanation for this as well?