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The leaders of Russia and Turkey have agreed today to establish a demilitarized zone in the Syrian region of Idlib, the last major bastion of anti-government rebels where fears of violence persist. a devastating offensive by the government forces was within reach.
The zone will be established on October 15 and 15-20 kilometers deep, with Russian troops and a NATO member in Turkey carrying out coordinated patrols, President Vladimir Putin said at the end of the day. 39, a meeting of more than three hours with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. in Sochi.
The agreement marked a significant deal between the two leaders and effectively delays an offensive by Syria and its Russian and Iranian allies, fearing that Turkey will create a humanitarian crisis near its border.
Putin said the "radical militants" should withdraw from the area. Among these, there would be those of the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham – Arabic Committee for the liberation of the Levant, linked to Al Qaeda. The group denies being linked to Al Qaeda.
The implementation of the agreement in the province, which is home to more than 3 million Syrians and about 60,000 rebel fighters from various groups, was not immediately established.
"I think that with this deal, we have prevented a major humanitarian crisis in Idlib," Erdogan said at a joint information meeting with Putin.
Turkey is eager to prevent an attack by Syrian government troops in the province.
Mr Putin said that he thought the agreement on Idlib could speed up the final resolution of the long and devastating civil war in Syria.
"We agreed that the practical implementation of the measures we are planning would give a new impetus to the process of political settlement of the Syrian conflict and would boost efforts in the context of Geneva and contribute to restoring peace in Syria."
Asked whether President Bashar Assad's Syrian government agreed with the Putin-Erdogan plan, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu told Sochi that "in the next few hours we will be disappointed." With all the positions presented in this document ".
Ahmed Ramadan, spokesman for the Syrian political opposition in exile, said the agreement offered Russia a chance to reverse its threat against Idlib and represented a success for Turkish and American diplomatic pressure against an offensive.
Ramadan also said that the agreement offers the Syrian government and Russia one of their main demands, which secures the highway that runs through Idlib and connects northern Syria with other cities. It was one of the government's strategic goals in an Idlib offensive.
"Turkey offered Putin a ladder to get off the tree, threatening a military offensive in Idlib that was unlikely to succeed," Ramadan said in a series of text messages with The Associated Press. "The strong Turkish and American pressures have been the reason for Russia's abstention and air cover, which means that Iran alone will not be able to carry out the offensive with the overwhelmed forces of the Assad regime."
He said Russia had also refrained from accusations that the rebels were all terrorists. "Russia has swallowed all its accusations," he said. "Turkey is in a strong position"
He said the area would be enforced by Turkish side-of-the-opposition patrols and Russian patrols on the government side.
Ramadan added that the opposition was now stronger than the defeats at Daraa and Ghouta.
He said the Russians had reached an agreement without negotiating first with the Syrian government, highlighting Shoigu's comments that Moscow will discuss the agreement with the Syrian government later.
Abu Omar, a spokesman for Turkey-backed rebel group Faylaq al-Sham, thanked Erdogan for preventing an offensive and giving the rebels time to defend their rebellion and their people. Millions of civilians in Idlib are at peace, he tweeted.
He stated that he was convinced that the agreement "would not have been possible without the steadfastness of our people and our fighters.Thank you, Erdogan."
Captain Naji al-Mustafa, a spokesman for the opposition party defense group, known as the National Liberation Front, said diplomatic efforts have prevented a massive Idlib offensive but his group must still deal.
He said the nature of the demilitarized zone and the way it will be implemented are not yet clear.
"We need details," he said, adding that the Assad government had already broken many agreements, including the de-escalation zones negotiated between Russia and Turkey.
"We will be ready to fight," he said.
Russia has labeled Idlib a hotbed of terrorism and said the Syrian government has the right to take it back. In recent weeks, Russian officials have repeatedly claimed that rebels in Idlib were planning an attack by chemical weapons that could be blamed on the Syrian government and provoke a retaliatory strike by the West.
Turkey had appealed to Russia and Iran, its negotiating partners, for a diplomatic resolution. At the same time, he sent reinforcements to his troops to ring Idlib, a move aimed at warding off an onslaught on the ground, at least for now.
The International Rescue Committee, a New York-based humanitarian group, said residents of Idlib "will rest easier tonight, knowing they are less likely to face imminent aggression."
However, Lorraine Bramwell, the group's director in Syria, warned that previous de-escalation agreements did not last long.
"In order to give the inhabitants of Idlib peace of mind, this agreement must be consolidated by the world powers working together to find a lasting political solution that protects civilians," said Bramwell. "It is also essential that humanitarian organizations are allowed to reach those who will remain in need throughout Idlib, including in any" demilitarized zone "."
Idlib and surrounding areas were calm on Monday, following the calm that began less than a week ago during talks between Russia and Turkey.
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