Turkey is now influencing the armed opposition groups in Syria's Idlib province to make them separate themselves from terrorists and start fighting Nusra terrorist group (banned in Russia) together with the government forces, having Russia as a guarantor of the groups' survival, representative of Astana opposition platform Mahmoud Afandi told Sputnik Monday.
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 17th September, 2018) Turkey is now influencing the armed opposition groups in Syria's Idlib province to make them separate themselves from terrorists and start fighting Nusra terrorist group (banned in Russia) together with the government forces, having Russia as a guarantor of the groups' survival, representative of Astana opposition platform Mahmoud Afandi told Sputnik Monday.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan are now meeting in Sochi to discuss the situation in the Idlib province.
"Erdogan has the intention of reconciliation. Already now Turkey is actively influencing armed groups on the ground in Idlib to make them reconcile and agree to fight against Nusra terrorists with the government, having Russia as the guarantor of their survival," Afandi said.
The opposition member expressed hope that the situation in the province would be the same as it was in Daraa.
"Russian military police would monitor Idlib and guarantee that the government does not attack the military groups who decided to surrender, while these military groups take the side of fight against terrorism. The situation will be similar to that of Daraa," he added.
The Idlib de-escalation zone in Syria is under the responsibility of Turkey as a guarantor state, and Russia expects it to facilitate the process of separating moderate opposition from terrorists in the area, Russian special presidential envoy for Syria Alexander Lavrentyev said last week in Geneva after the guarantors' meeting.
"Armed opposition groups in Idlib have only one condition - to prevent any Iranian presence in Idlib. This condition will be voiced by Erdogan to Putin," Afandi said.
Last week, Lavrentyev said that terrorists' surrender would be the best option for solving the situation in the Idlib province, in order to prevent casualties among civilians.
