GENOA (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 20th February, 2020) The Sochi agreement on a demilitarized buffer zone in Syria's Idlib cannot remain in place amid Turkey's inability to implement it, but the 2017 Astana deal on Syria demilitariztion must prevail, the secretary of the Syrian opposition movement Popular Diplomacy, Mahmoud Afandi, told Sputnik.
On Monday and Tuesday, Turkey and Russia held talks in Moscow regarding the recent escalation in Idlib, but no agreement was reached. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said earlier in the day that Ankara was dissatisfied with the results of the negotiations.
"Continuation of the Sochi agreement is no longer possible. Now Turkey, having suffered losses in clashes with the Syrian army, is trying to come back to the Sochi agreement, but it is no longer valid, since for a year and a half since it was reached, Turkey has failed to comply with it and guarantee the withdrawal of Tahrir ash-Sham [formerly Nusra, terrorist group, banned in Russia] and heavy weaponry from the buffer zone. Meanwhile, Astana agreement on Syria de-escalation remains intact and paramount. One must distinguish between these two agreements," Afandi said.
In May 2017, Turkey, Russia and Iran as the guarantors of the Syrian ceasefire agreed during the talks in Nur-Sultan (formerly Astana) to create four de-escalation zones in Syria.
In September 2018, Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan held talks in Sochi devoted specifically to the Idlib de-escalation zone. They agreed to create a demilitarized buffer zone in the province, which meant that all heavy weaponry operated by rebel groups was to be pulled back, and radical militants � including members of the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham terrorist group, previously known as the Nusra Front (banned in Russia) � were to leave the zone.
"Turkey did not comply with the Sochi agreement, the buffer zone was taken completely by Tahrir al-Sham, there have been continuing attacks on Aleppo, and drones were sent in the direction of Hmeimim. Russian patience was exhausted. Probably, Russian and Turkish presidents should meet in person to solve this situation," Afandi continued.
Earlier on Wednesday, Russian Foreign Minister Segey Lavrov said there were no indications of the preparation of a new meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Erdogan.
Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia intended to keep regular contacts with Turkish colleagues, adding that the two presidents were in close contact. In case a phone conversation is needed, it could be arranged within hours, Peskov said.
According to the spokesman, Russia became dissatisfied with the situation in Idlib when militants and terrorist groups began their offensive targeting the Syrian Armed Forces and Russian military facilities. Russia has repeatedly remarked that Turkey was failing at its commitment to separate terrorists from moderate opposition in Idlib.
