Turkey Expects Russia To Ensure Ceasefire Implementation In Syria's Idlib: Cavusoglu

Turkey Expects Russia to Ensure Ceasefire Implementation in Syria's Idlib: Cavusoglu

Turkey hopes that Russia will be able to convince the Syrian government to observe the negotiated ceasefire in the northwestern province of Idlib, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Saturday

ANKARA (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 11th January, 2020) Turkey hopes that Russia will be able to convince the Syrian government to observe the negotiated ceasefire in the northwestern province of Idlib, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Saturday.

On Friday, the Turkish Defense Ministry said Ankara and Moscow had agreed to introduce ceasefire in Idlib starting midnight January 12.

"We have agreed to ceasefire in Idlib, and I hope Russia will be able to convince the Syrian regime that the only solution [to the conflict] in Syria is through the path of dialogue, not military path," Cavusoglu said at a press encounter.

In May 2017, the so-called Astana-format talks in Kazakhstan among parties to the Syrian conflict under mediation of Russia, Iran and Turkey resulted in an agreement to create four de-escalation zones in Syria. Three of them went under Damascus' control in 2018, while the fourth one, Idlib, is still largely controlled by rebels, including the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham terrorist group (formerly known as the Nusra Front, banned in Russia).

The Syrian army has launched a military operation in Idlib in late December and urged local civilians to leave the terrorist-held areas.