Putin and Erdogan Agree on Ceasefire in Idlib

MOSCOW, Mar 5 - RIA News. In the Kremlin, negotiations between Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan ended, having lasted more than six hours.

The main topic of the meeting was the aggravation of the situation in the Idlib de-escalation zone.

The two leaders agreed on a joint document on a settlement in Syria, as it was voiced by the Foreign Ministers of the two countries.

The agreement includes the following clauses:

1. The cessation of all hostilities along the existing line of contact from midnight on March 6.

2. Russia and Turkey are creating a six-kilometer-wide security corridor north and south of the M4 highway in Syria.

3. From March 15, Russia and Turkey begin joint patrols along the M4 highway.

Putin expressed confidence that the agreements reached would become the basis for resolving the situation in Idlib.

Following the talks, the Russian leader noted that Moscow does not always share Ankara’s assessments of what is happening in Syria, but at critical moments the parties always manage to find common ground.

Both leaders agreed that the fight against terrorism should not be allowed to weaken, and agreed to continue cooperation within the framework of the Astana format in Syria.

Aggravation in Idlib

The situation in the Idlib de-escalation zone began to deteriorate on February 27 when the terrorists of the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham * group launched a large-scale attack on the positions of the Syrian army. The troops returned fire.

According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, along with the militants, the Turkish military, who should not have been in the area, came under fire. As a result, 36 Turkish soldiers were killed, and more than 30 people were injured.

In response, Ankara announced the launch of a new military operation in northwestern Syria, called Spring Shield.   --0--