Erdogan hopes for ceasefire in Idlib after talks with Putin in Moscow on Thursday
Ankara/Sputnik: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressed hope for achieving ceasefire in Syrian Idlib after he meets with Russian President Vladimir Putin on March 5 in Moscow.
"On Thursday, we will discuss the situation in Idlib with Putin. I hope that as a result of our conversation, a ceasefire will be achieved," Erdogan said in Ankara.
The escalation in Idlib was triggered when the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham terrorist group (banned in Russia) began a large-scale offensive against Syrian government forces, which returned fire. According to the Russian Defense Ministry, Turkish troops, who were not supposed to be outside their observation posts, were caught in the shelling — there were reports of over 30 deaths and more than 30 injured. Russia swiftly ensured the Syrian forces stopped the offensive so that the injured and dead could be evacuated to Turkey.
The 2018 Russian-Turkish memorandum retains the status quo on the Turkish military presence in Idlib, but only under condition that all terrorists and radical groups leave the de-escalation zone by October 15, 2018. Moscow and Ankara agreed to take effective measures to ensure stable ceasefire in the zone and to conduct joint patrols.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has previously said that Ankara has not managed to fulfill some of its commitments, including distinguishing terrorists from moderate opposition.
(Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons)
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