MOSCOW (AP) — The presidents of Russia and Turkey said they reached agreements on a ceasefire to take effect at midnight Thursday in northwestern Syria, where escalating fighting had threatened to put forces from the two countries into a direct military conflict.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the deal also envisions setting up a security corridor along a strategic highway in Idlib province.
Putin voiced hope the deal will serve as a “good basis for ending the fighting in the Idlib de-escalation zone, put an end to the suffering of the civilian population and contain a growing humanitarian crisis.”
Erdogan said he and Putin agreed to help refugees return to their homes. More than 900,000 people have been displaced by the fighting since the forces of Syrian President Bashar Assad launched an offensive in December.
Both leaders had underlined the need to reach agreement at the start of the Kremlin talks, which lasted more than six hours. One goal had been to prevent damage to their bilateral relations and blossoming Russia-Turkey trade.
The Russian and Turkish foreign ministers said the agreement involves a ceasefire that must be enforced starting at midnight along existing battle lines. The deal also envisages setting up a 12-kilometer (7-mile) wide security corridor along the M4 highway. The corridor will be jointly patrolled by Russian and Turkish troops starting March 15.
Until the latest crisis, Putin and Erdogan had managed to coordinate their interests in Syria even though Moscow backed Assad while Ankara supported the government’s foes throughout Syria’s nine-year war. Both Russia and Turkey were eager to avoid a showdown but the sharply conflicting interests in Idlib province made it difficult to negotiate a mutually acceptable compromise. READ MORE